Just A Simple Exchange
by SpnHemelLass
Summary: Will Robin Masters manage to land Thomas in serious trouble without even being present? Higgins may think Magnum is being over-cautious, but there is a history there. Are TC and Rick going to need to provide backup? Only time will tell...
1. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 1

JUST A SIMPLE EXCHANGE

Ch. 1

By Hemel Lass

"It's a simple exchange, Magnum, surely, even you, can't mess that up." Higgins snarked at the private investigator/security consultant.

Magnum sighed soulfully. "Fine, just forget I asked. It was a pretty simple request, but don't worry about it." He was already turning away to walk back towards the guest house.

The major-domo's head tilted sideways as she considered what he had said more carefully, not blurting out her initial, knee-jerk reaction. "Thomas, wait a moment. What's going on? Why would you want me to call Rick and TC after you leave to do the exchange and ask them to come here and hang out while you perform that errand 'just in case' you don't get back within three hours from Nu'uanu Pali Lookout? I've made these exchanges for Robin before and never had any problems…"

The former Seal looked back at her over his shoulder and responded. "Exactly, if it's just a simple exchange which you have made many times before, why all of a sudden does Robin want me, his – " he made air quotes with his fingers, " 'security consultant' to handle this one? I'm not going to give him any trouble about the request, I live here to serve, but I want the guys here," air quotes again, " 'just in case' there is trouble and I wind up needing back up." He looked down at the ground momentarily and back up, meeting her eyes with a very direct look and there was no joke in those warm, brown eyes. "Robin always has a reason for what he does, Higgins. I think he wants me on this for a reason. There is also the fact that he specified he doesn't want me to take my weapon. As if I would, when I am just picking up research he's had done for his next book, but I have this little voice that is telling me to take certain precautions."

Juliet let go with a peal of laughter. "You're hearing voices? Isn't that a sign of mental illness?"

Magnum rolled his expressive eyes at her, speaking sarcastically. "I said I have a little voice, not that I heard a little voice, Higgins. Women call it their 'intuition', but my mom always called mine my 'pequeña guía de voz', my 'little guide voice'. She told me to always listen to my 'pequeña guía de voz' - that it would keep me safe." He shrugged, his eyes drifting out to look at the ocean. "You may think it's stupid, but…"

"No," the lithe blonde gently lay her hand on his arm, "I'm sorry. I was out of line, Thomas. I- I didn't know. Why not just call Rick and TC yourself, though?"

"Aw, that's complicated, Higgins. TC and Rick have sort of a thing about Robin and me and warnings from my little voice. It's based on a lot of history. I just don't want to get into it with them over this, if that can be avoided. Don't want them getting wound up, if nothing comes of it. They never need to know and we'll just watch a movie and have pizza when I get back. It's been a while since we've just hung out…"

"Well, it's fine. I'll do as you ask and call them just after you've left and set something up. Alright?" Higgins was conciliatory for she had considered how important her own instincts were during her days in MI6 and was no longer inclined to be so dismissive of his caution.

Magnum jammed his hands in the pockets of his shorts and turned back to face her with a quizzical frown on his face. "Every time I think I've got a handle on you, you turn on a dime and completely switch your approach, Higgy. You confuse the heck out of me!"

Higgins smiled. "Haven't you heard, "it's a woman's prerogative to…"

"Change her mind." Magnum returned a grin. "Yep, my mom used to say that all the time. Wasn't sure you were allowed to say it these days."

"Well, I'm certainly allowed as I am a woman."

Magnum bit hard on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from snarking back, "You definitely are…" out loud, but oddly Higgins looked as if she heard it anyway as her eyes narrowed at him in that little squinty thing she did sometimes, making her nose crinkle up in a way he found rather charming.

Kumu came out of the main house and handed the PI something, saying… "Just as you requested, Thomas. What are they for?"

Thomas impishly held his finger up in front of his lips. "Uh-uh, our little secret… That would be telling."

Kumu laughed warmly. "Okay, mums the word." Juliet and Kumu watched him meander back to the guest house. Higgins turned to Kumu. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope, you heard the man - our little secret."

"Kumu, surely he didn't mean…" The two walked back into the main house with the former agent still trying to find out what had been given to the PI.

Magnum chuckled to himself as he entered the guest house. He'd intentionally made an issue out of keeping the ítems he had requested from Kumu secret because he knew she'd play along and he just liked to mess with Miss 'former MI6' Higgins from time to time. Keep the woman on her toes, so to speak. He had some seam ripping and sewing to do before the time to leave for Pali Lookout rolled around.

Nothing wrong with taking precautions, even if it was a 'simple exchange'. He was going to feel naked enough carrying a briefcase with over $258,000 in it without his weapon to a deserted State Park after closing time as the sun was setting. That felt to him like a disaster waiting to happen. He briefly wondered if Higgins knew how much cash was in the package Robin Masters had sent him via messenger. He only knew because he picked the lock. He liked Robin, he trusted him, but could not forget Nuzo once said Masters didn't have the common sense God gave a flea…or was it a fly? Anyway, hopefully, this research and the person doing it were trustworthy.

Okay, was he getting a bit paranoid here?

He could almost hear TC and Rick admonishing him he was not being paranoid enough, but he lived on Masters' rather luxurious estate free, drove his Ferrari, he owed the author loyalty and not to question him too much, right? Well, he would if nothing went wrong tonight. Because if his little voice was right and he ran into trouble, TC and Rick were NEVER going to let him live it down.

A/N: There will be further chapters in this story. Warning: This will be somewhat AU because while it takes into account aired canon at the time it was written, it may deviate quite a bit from things we learn in the future. Does it seem slightly OOC for Thomas to speak Spanish as if his mom spoke it to him at home growing up? Although my mother was born and raised in England and only spoke English, I wound up being very facile in picking up accents (and in speech therapy for years growing up in school because I didn't pronounce my H's and said certain words 'funny'. Ironic seeing as the one helping me with my exercises was English and spoke with a somewhat Cockney-ish accent!). In future chapters, it will also include some of my 'head canon' for Thomas' background which only exists in my overly fertile imagination. Well, if you keep reading, you will see what I mean. Hope y'all enjoy!


	2. Just a Simple Exchange Ch 2

Just A Simple Exchange 

Ch. 2 

Higgins dialed Theodore Calvin's number first. She felt awkward inviting Magnum's friends over for him. What was she, his mother, inviting his friends for a playdate? TC answered on the first ring, sounding just a bit tense. "Something wrong, Higgy?"

"No, TC, actually, I'm just passing on a request from Magnum that you and Rick come by for a…he called it a 'Howling At the Moon' night? He said you would know what he meant."

There was a complete change to the pilot's tone when he replied. "Well, all righty then. We haven't had a 'Howlin' at the Moon' night in a long time…and we've never done one there. Um, you're okay with us doing it there?"

"Well, Theodore, as I don't even know what 'it' is, I guess I shall have to be okay with it." 

"Thomas playing games with you, Higgy?" There was a distinct chuckle from the retired Marine. 

"I think it's just a bit of tit for tat, TC, but he has been playing mystery man today." 

"Our Private Investigator trying to make you play detective, is he? So what time do we need to get there?"

"As soon as you can, I suppose. I'll have to call Rick next." 

"Naw, don't worry about that. I'll call Rick. He'll be so stoked that Thomas has called a 'Howlin' At the Moon night'…I was beginning to worry we'd never have another one with Nuzo gone." 

"May I ask…?" 

"You'll find out tonight, Higgy." TC was laughing now. "You may not like it, but you will find out tonight. Do I just need to bring the equipment, or knowing my boy, do I need to bring beer too?" 

"No, I checked…the guest house is well stocked with food and beer." 

"Thomas just finish a case?" TC sounded surprised. 

"No, but he has been spending money the past two days."

"How? Magnum doesn't have any money."

"I don't know TC. He got some paperwork from Tidewater, VA the other day. An attorney, I think."

"Did you say Tidewater?" 

"Yes, does that mean something to you?" 

TC replied and the humor was gone from his voice; in its place was sadness. "Tidewater is where Thomas is from, where he grew up. I guess his mom's estate finally got freed up from the knots Frank tied it up in."

"Who is Frank?"

"Frank was Thomas' mom's 2nd husband."

"I didn't know Magnum had a stepfather." 

"Higgins, I didn't say he was Thomas' stepfather. He was married to TM's mom, but he was never, in any way, a father to that boy. Look, it's a long story, Higgy, and it is not mine to tell."

Frustrated to have yet another mystery thrown her way, Juliet sighed. "No, and I don't want to try to pry confidences out of you. Magnum has a right to his privacy."

"He'll probably tell you himself, one of these days - maybe? It is a real touchy subject. In fact, Rick and I only know as much as we do because Nuzo told us. Good thing he did too, someone needed to know what TM went through."

"So, see you in a bit?" Now Juliet was frustrated, Magnum was a mystery, wrapped in an enigma and packaged as a puzzle. How could Magnum's mother's 2nd husband not be Thomas' stepfather?

"Yeah, Higgins, see you soon." 

Rick picked up his phone when he heard TC's ring tone. "Hey, T…what's up?" 

"Thomas has called for a 'Howlin' at the Moon night' at his place tonight, Rick…you up for it?" 

Rick's eyes were huge. "For real? You wouldn't kid me about this, would you, TC? I was afraid we'd never have one again with Nuzo gone. Do I need to bring the beer?" 

Calvin laughed. "Same thing I asked, Rick, but Higgins assures me the guest house is well stocked with food and beer. 'Course knowing Thomas we'll drink the beer and order pizza." 

"So you and I should just bring the money for pizza?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have some cash on hand just in case, but TM got some paperwork from Tidewater, VA the other day and he's been spending money the past two days…" TC waited for the realization to sink in.

"Oh, man. You think he needs to blow off steam because his mom's estate finally came through?" Rick asked with dread. 

"Which means he's got to really deal with the fact his mom is gone…his heritage, his family home, his grandparent's place…all taken from our boy because of Hannah and our time as 'guests' of the Taliban…" TC agreed. 

"Courtesy of the way Frank's will which Tommy's mom never changed messed up Thomas' bequests from his family? All tied up in a neat little trust bow that Thomas never needed or wanted. The man was still trying to pretend Magnum didn't exist even after he was long gone." Rick sighed. 

"Pretend he didn't exist and yet also control every aspect of his life…what a prick." 

"TC, Thomas never said a bad word about Frank." 

"Yeah, well, outside of mentioning his mom was remarried for a while TM never even mentioned the man's name, but with what Nuzo told us, can you blame him? You know he hurt our boy, Rick." 

Rick sighed, "Thomas has been hurt way too much by life, T." 

"On that, we are in absolute agreement, Rick. Want me to swing by and pick you up…my van has more room for the Karaoke machine than your car?" 

"You got it, T…when are we supposed to go?" 

"When can you be ready?" 

"Give me 20?" 

"Okay, Rick, see you soon." 

Forty minutes later, Higgins opened the gate before either TC or Rick could get out to punch in the codes…she was near the garage where the Ferrari Magnum drove should be parked. TC parked where he usually did, but as he got out of the van he asked the woman. "Thomas get called away?" 

Higgins thought quickly. "He's just running an errand." 

Theodore Calvin frowned, questioningly, at her. "Running an errand for you?"

Oh, dear, time to take the plunge. "No actually, running an errand for Robin Masters." 

TC froze where he was moving towards the back of the van, turned back towards Higgins and anxiously demanded. "Say again?" 

Rick who had just been getting out of the van when he heard Higgins mention an errand for Robin, exclaimed. "That little shit…" 

Juliet took umbrage with that remark. "Excuse me?" 

"Not you, Higgins, Thomas. What kind of an errand is he running for Robin?" The blonde gunner was speaking urgently, clearly stressed and TC was close behind him on that emotional spectrum. "He's supposed to have us here before he goes on any kind of anything for Robin…uh, no offense, Higgins, I know Robin is your boss and all, but…" 

Juliet surprised him by saying, "Thomas said you both have 'sort of a thing about him and Robin and warnings from his 'pequeña guía de voz'." 

TC looked at Rick with increasing alarm. "He called it that?"

At the same time, Rick exclaimed. "He admitted he had a warning from his little voice?"

TC explained. "Thomas never tells anyone the Spanish name for his 'little voice'. That was a thing between him and his mom back in the days that were good between them and I think with her dying while we were in captivity, it has just been too painful." 

"Is it good that he used that name with me?" Higgins asked. 

"I guess that depends on exactly what his little voice was telling him," TC replied. "What exactly did he tell you about that?"

"He didn't really…just that he wanted you here in case he wasn't back from the exchange within three hours, as 'back up'." 

"You said errand before, now you are saying 'exchange' - which is it?" Rick still had that urgent, anxious tone. 

Juliet shook her head a bit exasperated. "It is a simple exchange. I've done them many times for Robin. Surely you didn't think Robin did all the research for his novels himself? In the preliminary stages of writing a White Knight novel, Robin will pay a researcher or someone experienced in the field covered in the story he's mapped out to provide him with an accurate background."

TC broke in, remarking. "I figured he just made stuff up because he sure played fast and loose with reality in the one with the 'Jump from Space'. I mean the man takes creative license to astronomical levels." 

That earned a slight chuckle from Higgins. "Anyway, Thomas is merely dropping off a briefcase with the payment in it to the researcher and picking up the research." 

"Uh-huh. Is the payment cash, by any chance?" Rick sounded suspicious. 

"Generally…" She admitted. 

TC interjected. "At least Thomas is armed." 

"Good grief, TC. Do you think the researcher is going to hold Magnum up? He's going to give him the money." 

Rick put a hand on Higgin's arm and asked, anxiously. "Are you saying Thomas isn't armed?"

"Thomas did mention Robin had asked him to leave his weapon at home." 

TC rolled his eyes. "Of course he did. How long has it been since TM left on this 'errand'?"

"Only an hour."

"ONLY an hour? Do you know how much trouble Thomas can get into in an hour, Jules?"

"As I was saying, I've made these exchanges for Robin many times and never had a problem. You give the researcher the briefcase and he or she gives you the research. It's a simple exchange."

"Maybe it has been for you, Higgins, but nothing Robin has ever asked Thomas to do has gone simply, or safely for that matter."

"What do you mean?" The major-domo was honestly confused.

"It's a long story…a lot of history. Nuzo used to say that Robin didn't have the common sense God gave a flea or the situational awareness of a fly. He would ask TM to do something and Thomas would go along with it…" TC explained.

"When he really shouldn't have…" Rick interjected.

"And it would all go to hell in a handbasket."

"How bad could it be?" Juliet wondered aloud.

"Well, one time Robin wanted to interview this guy without a bunch of soldiers around making the source nervous and he talked Magnum into taking him out alone…off base to this small town near the KOP we were operating out of at the time." TC explained tersely as he went to the back of his van, opened it and took something out.

"But the guy Robin wanted to interview, when he realized he had a real live SPECWARFARE OPERATOR in front of him, without backup, decided to ditch the reporter, grab the SEAL and auction him off to one of the various players in the Sandbox, any of whom would pay good money to get their hands on one of our guys; …so he knocked out Robin and got Thomas to go with him by leaving a pal of his with Masters saying they wouldn't kill Robin if Magnum went without resisting."

"We didn't know if Thomas would make it back alive from that one. The guy took him and hid him in a cave somewhere in the Kush and started a bidding war for a Navy Seal amongst the Taliban, Al Queda and some of the warlords in the región."

"None of the possibilities looked good for Magnum. He could have wound up beheaded on camera for the world to watch on the worldwide web…or drowned in a cage…"

"Or burned alive…" Rick muttered. "Those were just a few of the possibilities that came out during the bidding war."

"Oh my God…what happened?" Higgins was horrified.

"Poor doufus who took Magnum didn't know TM had more in common with the Roadrunner than Wil E Coyote." TC continued the explanation, as he placed the Karaoke machine on the side inside the empty Ferrari garage.

Rick started to explain. "Those are cartoon…"

Higgins cut him off. "Thank you, but I do know who Wil E Coyote and the Roadrunner are, Orville. TC, why do you say…

"When the guy went back to the cave he'd left Thomas chained to the wall in with the highest bidder…."

Rick broke in. "Thomas had escaped. It had taken him 3 days to manage that and he was barefoot and half blind from the beatings the guy had given him, but he made his way back to us eventually, evading bad guys looking for him, and our guys out searching for him because he couldn't tell who was who and him without a weapon. He was near starved and sick as a dog, but he did it seven days total after he left with Robin."

TC finished the story. "So excuse Rick and me for having a 'sort of a thing about Thomas and Robin and warnings from his 'little voice' '. Now, where is this exchange supposed to take place?" TC asked.

"Thomas wanted you to wait up to three hours." She pointed out. "It's only been one."

"You really think we are going to wait around that long?" Rick demanded, a bit angry now.

"It's at Nu'uanu Pali Lookout," Higgins answered quickly.

"That closes at 4 pm. What time was this exchange supposed to happen – sunset? It'll be nice and deserted up there unless one of those ghost tours is going on." Rick was rubbing the back of his head rather frantically. "Now I know why my head has been itching all day…should have brought my weapon."

"If you want to go armed, come with me." Juliet turned towards the main house. As the three headed for the house, she asked TC sotto voce. "His head itched all day?"

"Back in the 'Stan, Rick's itchy head was as good or better a warning as TM's little voice or our intel. When his head itched like he is talking about, we knew to be ready for trouble."

"Oh, dear. Hope you, gents, don't mind, but I'm coming along." The blonde finally realized how serious things might be. She led them into the main house and opened a drawer filled with a variety of armament. "Take your pick, gents."

Rick grabbed an automatic weapon. "Be right back." Higgins immediately handed him a box of the appropriate ammunition. "Is the guest house unlocked?" The woman nodded. "Good, I'm going to grab Magnum's field medic kit."

TC agreed. "Good idea, better safe than sorry. Move it, Orville. Let's go get our boy out of whatever mess Robin has gotten him into!"

"Surely, that was only one time." The former agent was convinced enough, but still protective of her employer.

"Out of 10, - or was it 12 times Robin nearly got Tommy killed?" Rick called back from the path to the guest house.

Higgins looked at TC. "He has really good hearing. I'm surprised Thomas would ever do anything Robin asks with that kind of history."

"You haven't known Magnum long enough to fully comprehend the level of forgiveness and loyalty he has to people - hell, you are talking about a man who would willingly die for a complete stranger, Jules. If there is a limit to how far he would go for a friend, we haven't seen it yet. It's just who he is." 


	3. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 3

Just A Simple Exchange

Ch. 3

Before TC even pulled the van to a complete stop next to the Ferrari in the parking lot at Pali Lookout, Rick hopped out of the vehicle and headed to the back wearing the jacket Kumu had provided, pointing out that Nu'uanu Pali Lookout was always windy and after sunset it could be rather chilly. If the retired Marine gunner thought it odd that they had jackets at the Nest to fit both himself and TC, he didn't say so. TC followed from the driver's side of the van, opening the back and handing first Rick and then Higgins a large flashlight, and saying. "Let's find our boy."

Higgins asked. "How do you want to do this?"

"You and Rick go left, I'll go right. We'll go down to the lowest level, checking as we go."

Rick started calling. "Magnum? Thomas?"

TC looked at his friend. "Really, Orville? You think it's going to be that easy?"

"Can't hurt to try…" Rick replied, shrugging.

"Always the optimist, aren't you, buddy?" TC smiled to take any sting out of his words.

"Thank God for that," Juliet remarked.

"Thank you, Higgins," Rick smirked. "Come on, TC…Thomas has managed to get himself out of trouble, more than once."

"True that," Calvin said. "Let's get started."

Twenty minutes later, TC called to the other two searchers from the right side of the lowest level which actually looked out over toward Honolulu. "I've got automatic weapon casings over here. They're fresh. They were shooting at someone."

Rick remarked to Higgins. "Need to guess who?"

"One would assume Thomas… But who are they?" She responded. "Who would want Robin's research?"

"Well, that kind of depends on what Robin was researching, doesn't it? And knowing Robin, he hasn't shared that information with you, has he?"

"You're right, Rick."

"That's what it says on my birth certificate…, Wright, Rick, - well, technically it says Wright, Orville, but…"

Juliet gave him a smile.

Rick knelt down and called out loud enough for TC to hear from his side of the search area. "We've got blood here, not a lot, but they must have at least winged TM."

Juliet was shining her 'torch' up the wall and onto the railing. "Yes…there's more here. Just droplets, but…" she shone the beam down the rather steep drop-off on the other side of the wall and gasped. "Oh, my! I'm afraid I've found him, gentlemen."

Rick stood from where he had still been looking at the blood on the ground. "What? Where?" His eyes followed the beam and saw his friend lying wedged against a boulder down the steep incline. Clearly, Magnum had rolled down the incline and only been stopped from going over the cliff's edge by the boulder he rested against. His experienced eyes noted that Magnum's arms appeared to be bound behind his back and he was obviously unconscious, lying face down.

TC was rushing towards them. "How's it look, Orville?"

"Looks like I'm going over the side! Please tell me you brought a rope?"

"I've got rope in the back of the van…I'll go get it."

"No, big guy, let me…I'll be quicker and I'll bring the field medic kit back with me too…looks like I'll need it for sure." Rick accepted the van's keys from TC and rushed off to get the needed equipment. He was back in a flash and tying the rope to the railing, expertly and preparing to go over the side.

"Be careful, Rick…it's really steep."

"I'll be fine, TC. Not my first rodeo." Rick's hair was blowing in the stiff breeze.

"Should I call fire rescue?" Juliet asked.

Rick shook his head. "Let's see what we are dealing with, first, Higgy. Determine if we need an ambulance or a Med-Evac flight, okay?" He was prepping himself to descend rapidly by rappelling, rigging a harness and slinging the med kit on his shoulder with the flashlight inserted in it and secured. "TC, call out any adjustments I need to my course on the way down to reach Tommy, will you?"

"You got it, buddy." TC insured the younger man made it safely over the side of the railing and did as his friend requested, occasionally calling out left a couple of steps, little more to the right, until he began calling out the remaining distance Rick still needed to go to reach their stricken friend. "You're there, Rick. How's our boy?"

Rick turned and knelt just up the hillside from Magnum's prone body. He reached down, hand shaking slightly, to feel for a pulse in his neck. Finding one, he sighed in relief. "His pulse is weak, rapid and thready, but he's still with us." Wright quickly pulled gloves on, took the scissors out of the med kit and cut the bloody zip tie off the injured man's wrists, putting the removed evidence in a pocket on the outside of the med bag.

As TM's arms were freed to hang more naturally, Rick noted they were covered in bleeding abrasions as if Thomas had been rubbing them against a rough surface trying to free himself. Rick carefully rolled Thomas towards him and took the flashlight out of the bag and shone it on his friend's prone form to begin examining him.

"Thomas has a bullet wound to the left shoulder…looks like a through and through, but he's bleeding heavily and has been for quite a while. He's in shock." Wright was running his hands over TM's chest, frowning at the feel of the man's ribs. "His right eye is completely swollen shut, that side of his face is barely recognizable, his upper rib cage feels the consistency of cornflakes...they beat him really bad, TC, before he bolted."

The black man swallowed hard. "In spite of that, he managed to get loose and he evaded them. No quit in our boy."

"Damn," Rick snapped out, expressively, as he continued his physical examination. "I've got another bullet wound here and it's a sucking chest." His hands moved quickly to the bag, extracting supplies and working quickly to rig a valve to seal the wound, utilizing some plastic wrap and duct tape. After that, he pulled out a stethoscope and listened to Magnum's breathing. "His right lung is collapsed, guys. Higgins, make the call. We need a Med-Evac flight because I need a Stokes to get Thomas up this incline. He's not in too much respiratory distress yet, so I think the full lung collapse is pretty recent, but his condition isn't going to improve until he gets hospital care and he really needs oxygen."

Juliet was already on the phone and TC pulled his own phone to call Katsumoto to give the detective the information on what had happened and where they were.

Higgins called down to Rick. "Med-Evac is coming, Rick. They have a Stokes on board."

Rick held one hand out with the thumb up quickly in response, but then immediately went back to assessing his friend's condition. He called up again. "Thomas' left arm is broken between the elbow and the wrist…both bones." He searched through the bag until he found a splint and splinted the injured area.

At that news, TC swore vehemently. "Damn it all to hell. That's the 2nd time his arm's been broken there."

"Aw, fuck." Rick had been continuing probing and checking the unconscious man's body.

Alarmed at the tone of that latest exclamation, Calvin called down. "What now?"

"Abdomen is semi-rigid, not terribly distended, but…" pulling the Hawaiian shirt out of the way and casting the flashlight beam over the pale skin marred by heavy bruising, Rick exhaled heavily. "based on the lovely coloration here, we've got internal bleeding in the abdomen. Looks like Tommy gets to have more than one surgery in his near future.

Satisfied he had done all he could, for now, Wright extracted a survival blanket and tucked it around his friend. He carefully raised Magnum up in his arms and slid down so his back was against the boulder and his injured friend rested against his chest to make it easier for the unconscious man to breathe, speaking softly in Thomas' ear. "It's Rick, Thomas. I've got you. You're going to be okay. Just hold on, buddy mine. Just keep holding on." He rubbed Magnum's upper arms, trying to generate some warmth in the man's chilled skin. Shock sucked and freezing cold in Hawaii just did not compute.

Wright was tempted to start an IV, but he wasn't licensed as a paramedic in this state and Med-Evac might not cut him slack on that. However, if Magnum had needed it badly enough, all such conventions would have been off and he would have done it in a heartbeat. He only had Ringer's and D5W in the bag and Magnum needed plasma and a blood transfusion or three, but that would have to wait. For the moment, Thomas seemed stable with what he had done, 1st level aid though it was. 

*(*(*)*)* 

Above both TC and Higgins were pacing restlessly, frustrated by their inability to do anything further now until Magnum could be moved to a hospital.

Higgins answered her phone on the first ring. It was the dispatcher asking for an update on the injured man's condition. The perky blonde reeled off the list of assessed injuries and what had been done for each condition to the surprised dispatcher who asked. "Do you have a paramedic at the scene?"

"Not exactly, the gentleman who found our 'injured party' was trained in the military, they served on the same team, and he has a military-style field medic duffle bag with him."

"Sounds like Spec Ops," The woman came back, "Reminds me of the Five-O people."

"No, our victim is a Private Investigator, but the team was JTF of Seals and Marines."

"I'm going to update the Med-Evac flight. Thank you for your help, Ms?"

"Higgins, Juliet Higgins. Will they be here soon? Magnum needs a hospital."

"Yes, you should see the chopper any moment."

"Ah, yes…I've spotted it now. Thank God."

"I'll say a prayer for Mr. Magnum."

"Appreciated, thanks." The call ended. As Higgins put her phone back in her jacket pocket, she heard and saw the approaching police.

TC rang off his call, saying. "See you in a few, Detective." As he put his phone in his pocket, he smiled at Juliet. "Our boy keeps things interesting, don't he, Higgy?"

She easily acknowledged. "'May you live in interesting times' should be his family creed. I certainly haven't suffered from boredom since Magnum came into my life. Though this time, it seems more Robin's fault. I feel awful for giving Thomas a hard time about wanting you for back up earlier today. 'Just a simple exchange' indeed."

TC winked at her. "Won't make that mistake again, will you? Know this though. Once he wakes up, TM will shrug this off and say 'It's fine." Just like always. The man seldom manages to hold a grudge."

"He does rather remind me of a Golden Retriever puppy sometimes," Juliet admitted.

TC burst into a bark of delighted laughter. "Make sure I share that with Rick later. Though with his hair color, Thomas is more a Black Labrador, right down to the 'water dog'."

Juliet responded in kind. "And Rick's the Golden Retriever."

"Naw, Ricky boy is quite capable of holding a grudge, though he does remind one of a Golden with his irrepressible nature." More seriously, Calvin continued. "As bad as this is, it's still better than the time I told you about earlier, in the Stan. I'll take found in not great shape over missing and for sale in the Kush any day."

"Agreed, provided Thomas recovers all right."

"Oh, he will. Count on it. I have total faith in my man for that." 


	4. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 4

Just A Simple Exchange

Ch. 4  
*(*(*)*)*

Katsumoto approached Higgins and TC watching the Med-Evac chopper lifting off. He asked the two who remained to meet him. "Was that, Magnum?"

TC nodded. "And Rick with him."

"Wright, why?"

"Because Rick knows TM's medical history and has his Medical Power of Attorney, plus if Thomas wakes up disoriented, Rick can usually talk him down and prevent a blood bath."

Katsumoto frowned quizzically as he asked, "That happen often?"

TC spread his hands in a dismissive gesture. "Detective, the man has a particular set of skills, you don't want it to happen at all, but with some of the places and situations Thomas has been in, it's not beyond the realm of possibility."

"How badly is he injured?"

TC shook his head, biting his lip, his distress evident, while Higgins shared the long, laundry list of injuries Wright had uncovered. As she wrapped up, the detective asked. "You mentioned two gunshot wounds?"

The woman nodded. "A through and through to the shoulder from which he lost a lot of blood before we got to him and a sucking chest wound."

"Automatic weapons were used." TC explained, "Found the casings that end of the walkway. Just up the rise, there is a tree which TM was tied to while they beat him half to death."

Katsumoto sighed. "Who is 'they', Mr. Calvin?"

"Detective, Mr. Calvin was my father. And I don't know who 'they' are. But they used automatic weapons so I think they are bad dudes and they tried to kill my friend, so if they mess with me, I will put them down!"

Realizing his tone had triggered the big man's irritation, the detective said. "Just asking, TC."

"I know. Sorry, I'm a bit amped up here."

*(*(*)*)*

"What was Magnum doing here? The park closes at 4 PM."

The major-domo explained about the exchange. TC noted she didn't go with her 'It's a simple exchange' riff this time. Katsumoto pressed further, "That research may be the only clue to who is behind this until Magnum wakes up…can I have it?"

Higgins looked at TC, amazed to realize she hadn't even thought of the much-vaunted research since she realized Magnum might really be in trouble back on the estate. "Actually, we never checked if he had it on him."

The detective grimaced. "Great. I've already called for CSU to come to process the area. TC, could you show me the tree, the rope you mentioned and the casings?" The pilot nodded, and Katsumoto turned his eyes to Higgins. "Where exactly did you find Magnum?"

"Rick noticed blood on the ground here and realized Thomas was at least wounded."

Using her torch beam, she pointed to the blood on the ground, then shone it up the wall to the upper portion where Katsumoto himself spotted the blood droplets when the beam hit the top of the railing. Higgins used the beam to point down the slope to the boulder. "When I found the blood up on the railing, I happened to shine my beam down enough that it illuminated down the slope there, where Thomas came to rest against that boulder. His arms were still bound behind his back. Rick got rope from the back of TC's van and a field medical kit that Thomas keeps on hand, 'just in case' and rappelled down to where Thomas was to render aid…and before you ask, when Rick cut his arms free of the zip tie, I saw Rick put the zip tie into a pocket on the outside of the bag, but again, he took the bag with him in the chopper…"

Gordon smiled at the completeness of her narrative and said, "Dr. Cunha is on her way to the hospital."

"Why? Thomas ain't dead, Detective!" TC exclaimed, his hands fisted up and taking a half step forward.

"The good Doctor is a top forensic scientist as well as a medical examiner. She'll get photographs of his injuries and collect the bullet post-op. I didn't mean to imply she'd be collecting his body, TC."

Glancing down the slope again, Katsumoto shuddered. "If he had missed that boulder, this would be a body recovery. How in the hell did he get over this railing if his arms were bound behind his back?"

"Sheer determination, stubbornness, and cussedness," TC responded. "Thomas would rather risk taking himself out, then accept the inevitable, if push comes to shove. Sometimes I wish the boy would just chill a bit. He might wind up less injured."

"Magnum doesn't make life boring, does he?"

"A little boring would make a nice change." TC acknowledged, "Come on, I'll show you where I found the casings and the tree TM was tied to." TC led the way. "Then I'd like to get to the hospital. I want to know what's happening with Thomas."

*(*(*)*)*

It was about an hour later that TC and Higgins arrived at the waiting room of the Emergency Room at the hospital Magnum had been taken to. TC was immediately accosted by Rick practically jumping on him. "Thomas flatlined, TC." Rick clutched at TC's shoulders, sounding absolutely panicked. "Just before we landed here. They – they were pounding on his chest and they took him back there. They wouldn't let me through those doors…he – he died, TC. I think we lo-…"

TC could feel the club manager's fear and despair, but he wasn't going to let his friend drown in it. He forced himself to stay calm and resolute. "How long ago did they take him back there?" He cut the shorter man off verbally.

"What? …I don't know! Been a while…why?"

"Because Orville, my friend, if he was dead, they would have come out and told us so. The fact they haven't come back out means they are still working on him." TC patted Rick on his back. "You listen to me, Rick, and listen good. Thomas is a fighter. That boy hasn't got any quit in him and he won't start now. So just calm down and hold on. TM is a survivor and he is going to survive this. Don't you give up on him? You have to have faith."

Rick pulled at his blonde hair. "How can you be so sure?" The former Marine resumed his pacing, but he was taking deep breaths; clearly trying to calm himself down. He'd been working himself into froth ever since the flatline tone had sounded in the chopper and the flight medic had cried out. "Get them over here fast, we just lost him." He hadn't come down from the surge of adrenalin that had hit his system and his own heart was racing from the tension.

TC followed his friend and stepped in front of him to force an end to the pacing. "Check yourself, Orville. I can be so calm because I remember what Nuzo told us back in the day." He tried to project his calm onto the younger man, so steady with a gun in his hands, but shaking with fear now. "A SEAL isn't dead until he's…."

"…cold, dead and in our arms," Rick recalled, actually beginning to feel a bit better.

Rick glanced towards Higgins who was standing with shock and fear on her stricken face. Immediately feeling for the former MI6 agent, he went over to her. "Sorry, Jules. You didn't need to see me freaking out. It's just…"

The normally reserved woman put her arms around Rick and hugged him. "I can only imagine how awful that was for you, Rick…to see that happen to Thomas. No apologies are necessary. I suddenly find I can NOT imagine my life without him in it. I do NOT want to find out what that would look like, so I can assure you, I completely understand." Her words were reinforced by the fact that her eyes had filled with tears.

TC remarked. "Thomas does that. He works his way inside. There are words to a song… 'she reaches in, and grabs right hold of your heart'. The song refers to a lady, but it fits our boy pretty damn well. When I first met Thomas, I never guessed we would wind up as close as we are, but there's something about him that has that effect. Mind you, my first impression of Magnum was that I wanted to deck him."

Rick laughed, remembering that meeting. "I loved that smart mouth of his – impressed the hell out of me because he wasn't intimidated by your size or anything else. He was a SEAL - thank you very much. Nobody was going to tell him how to run an op or the best place for an ex-fil!"

TC chuckled, relieved that his friend seemed to be calming down. "As I recall, you weren't intimated by me either, Orville."

Wright flapped his hand as if that was no big deal. "Officers never impressed me much, TC, you know that, but Thomas getting in your face looked like David taking on Goliath." He looked at Higgins. "Nuzo hovered in the background, looking so nervous for Magnum. He always was so protective of TM."

"They were brothers long before we met them; from BUD/s on, they had each other's back. After we had gone on a few ops together, the two of them just folded us into their 'family unit', whether we wanted it or not." TC smiled sadly at the memories. "Before we knew it, we did want it. I miss Nuzo right now, so much."

Rick nodded his agreement. "Me, too, TC. Me, too."

*(*(*)*)*)*

When Detective Gordon Katsumoto entered the ER waiting room two hours later, he found all three pacing the room. He paused just inside the door and allowed himself a brief smile at the pattern they were following as they paced. Higgins was basically walking figure 8's on the inner perimeter while TC and Rick were walking opposite directions around the outside perimeter. None had noticed his presence. He gave it another beat before he cleared his throat rather loudly. "I gather there has been no update yet?"

TC looked up. "Oh, hi, Detective. You're right. No update yet. Haven't seen Dr. Cunha either."

Katsumoto grinned. "You probably wouldn't. She comes in a back way, does her thing and leaves, but I don't think she's been here yet. Rick, do you have the zip tie that bound Magnum's hands behind his back?"

"Oh, yeah, over here." Rick went to the corner of the room furthest from the door, pulled a green duffle from underneath it, unzipped a pocket on the outside, and pointed inside. The detective knelt beside him, pulling on a pair of gloves. He carefully extracted the zip tie put it in an evidence bag and marked the front up properly.

Rick explained. "I had gloves on when I handled it and I was careful to hold it by the edges, so you may be able to get partial prints off it."

The detective looked at him, surprised. "How'd you learn the proper way to handle evidence, Wright?"

"Thomas taught me. He did a few JAGMAN investigations of incidents back in the day and he would let me help out."

"Honestly, I never would have suspected Magnum knew the proper way to handle evidence. He certainly doesn't have much use for proper procedure, or telling the truth."

Rick's fists balled up. "Thomas is a very smart man, Detective Katsumoto. Priorities for a private investigator are different than for a police officer of any kind. Thomas is devoted to the whole truth, but not to the letter of the law as it applies to cops." TC, noticing his friend's agitation, had come over and was about to step in when the HPD officer made a calming motion.

"That came off sounding like a criticism, but that isn't what I intended. Magnum is very good at what he does and I've come to respect him. Honestly, I think he'd make a hell of a cop."

TC laughed. "I don't think Thomas will ever work for a government entity again. If the Navy hadn't have discharged him, it might be different, but…"

Higgins offered. "Are you saying Magnum didn't want the medical discharge?"

"Nooooooo!" Rick drew out the word for a long time. "In fact, he was of a mind to fight it. Nuzo was all, 'Thomas, don't you think we've given enough for God and country?' "

TC explained. "Thomas wasn't like me, Rick and Nuzo. He came from a family with a long history of military service, stretching all the way back to, as you might say, Higgy, 'the war with the colonies'. He fully intended to try to be a lifer. He wanted to break what he called the 'TS number curse'."

Katsumoto knew they were way off topic, but his curiosity was aroused. "The 'TS number curse'?" He asked.

Rick took over. "Tommy IS Thomas Sullivan Magnum the IV you know. The 'TS number curse' is that not one of Thomas Sullivan's made it to lifer status. He wanted to be the first, really badly."

"So what happened?"

"Thankfully, the doctors in Germany sat him down and really laid out the permanent health consequences our time as prisoners of the Taliban left us with. They told him bluntly that with the information they would have to provide the boards, TM was never going to win over their recommendation for medical discharge. He was pretty torn up by it, but he gave up on fighting it at that point. Being Thomas, he just moved on. The thing was he had never had a plan B, so…"

"Plan B?" Higgins asked.

"Yeah, you know, like professional athletes, if they are smart, have figured out what they'll do next when they are too old, or get injured, and have to move on to their next career. Thomas didn't have a plan B. He said he'd just wing it."

"I can believe that. It fits the Magnum I know." Higgins smiled as she said it.

Trying to bring the topic back around to his investigation, Katsumoto asked. "Did they give you Magnum's personal effects and clothing yet?"

Rick shook his head. "Nothing like that. Just like they haven't updated us at all since we got here." His frustration at the lack of info was obvious to anyone.

*(*(*)*)*)*

The detective offered. "Let me see if I can get anything out of them. I really need the 'research' if he still has it. I'd like to find something to generate some leads on who did this to him."

"Oh, he still has it. Count on it." TC affirmed confidently. "The question is…is it on him or did he hide it someplace when he saw them coming?"

"Surely, with the beating he took…" Higgins started.

"What? Thomas would give it up to save himself? No way, Higgy. Nah-uh." TC shook his head and went on. "Look, as an example, at one point in our captivity, the Taliban tried to force Thomas to read some anti-American crap on video. They were trying REAL HARD to persuade him. He would have let them kill him before he'd make a peep. In fact, they damn near did. The final method of trying to force him to comply was slow hanging, which they did in front of us. They knew by that point that he'd be more affected by watching us suffer from what they were doing to him than by his own torture. He kept meeting our eyes and mouthing, 'Sorry, guys.' to us." Rick's eyes filled with tears, and he shook his head, unable to complete the telling.

TC patted the back of Rick's shoulder. "Thomas' throat was so messed up after, he couldn't talk for weeks and lost so much weight from not being able to properly swallow, we …" He turned away, also overwhelmed by the memories.

Both Katsumoto and Higgins were struck by what these men had endured together. No wonder they were so close.

Higgins proposed a solution to the detective. "It occurs to me, Detective that, under these circumstances, Robin may be willing to give you the information you need. I would like the chance to call him first and tell him what has happened, however."

"I would appreciate that, Higgins."

"I'll just step out for a moment and make that call."

*(*(*)*)*

Seeing that TC and Rick were trying to shore up their emotions, Katsumoto went over to the information desk to ask to speak to a nurse in charge from the ER. In just a few moments, a nurse came out and relayed to him that the ER doctor would be out shortly to speak to Magnum's 'family' with an update. She added she would be back with his clothing and personal effects in just a few moments.

Gordon smiled and thanked her. He went over to Rick and TC. "Hey, guys, I spoke with the head nurse for the ER unit. The doctor is coming out directly to speak with you and the nurse will bring his things out in a short time."

Rick sighed with relief. "Finally!"

"Thank you, Detective Katsumoto," TC said enthusiastically.

The HPD officer shrugged and said. "I just showed her my badge and asked. I think they were about ready to come out anyway."

Higgins came in a few minutes later and handed the Detective a business card. "The number in the lower left corner is Robin's private cell number. Please don't leave that lying around or put it in any reports. It is extremely confidential. Mr. Masters will give you all the information you need that he can share. He feels terrible about what has happened to Magnum and will, of course, assume all expenses for his care. He wants to help solve this. He has also offered to provide security to protect Thomas. He's afraid the people who did this may come after him again when they find out he survived."

Katsumoto frowned, his concerns ramping up rapidly at that comment. "No…I'll get some men I trust to provide protection. They will be fully vetted. Thanks for the phone number. I promise no one else will see it."

Rick and TC had joined them by this point and Rick spoke up. "The police can provide security outside, but one of us will be with Thomas in the room at all times, as long as you think there is a threat." His voice had an iron tone to it. "That is NOT negotiable."

Higgins spoke up. "I hope you are including me in that group inside, Orville Wright."

TC chuckled and agreed. "Yes, Ma'am. We wouldn't dream of leaving you out."

"And I will back you on that with the staff of the hospital, gentlemen, Higgins," Katsumoto assured them.

The ER doctor came out, quietly asking. "Family of Thomas Magnum?"

"That's us," TC spoke plainly.

The doctor looked at him with a challenge in his eyes. "Sir, I need to speak with his FAMILY."

"We're his brothers," Rick said firmly.

"Clearly you are not one family."

TC retorted. "We were adopted, our parents have passed, and we are the only family Thomas has left. Rick here has Thomas' power of attorney."

The gunner extended his hand. "Rick Wright and these folks can hear anything you have to say. My permission for you to talk to them is as good as Magnum's." After shaking his hand, Rick pulled out his wallet and withdrew paperwork to back up his claim. "Expand your mind, Doctor. Families come in all forms nowadays."

After reviewing the paperwork, the doctor nodded his head. "I apologize, gentlemen, but HIPAA regulations are very strict and this hospital does not need trouble with the federal government. I'm Dr. Alan Wakelea, the Trauma doctor on duty tonight. All right, could we take a seat over here?"

Once they were seated, the doctor launched into his update. "When Mr. Magnum arrived, he was in full cardiac arrest. However, in light of his injuries, we suspected that was due to blood loss, so we got 3 units of blood on rapid infusers as well as starting additional I V's with plasma and fluids. After those plus an additional two units of typed and cross-matched blood were on board, we were finally able to re-establish an erratic rhythm to his heart. As all that was going on, we had been assessing his condition. Once he was as stable as we could make him, he was rushed into surgery. It's liable to be a lengthy process. He needs a number of rib fragments removed and those ribs will be replaced, we have to do an exploratory laparotomy to resolve bleeding in the abdomen and, if he can tolerate it, he'll have internal fixations to stabilize the fractures in his arm.

He continued in the same serious manner. "I won't lie to you all. Thomas Magnum is extremely critical and will remain touch and go for some time if he survives the surgery. That's really all I can tell you at this time."

Rick gulped heavily but asked. "How long was he down before you re-established cardiac function?"

"Mr. Wright, let's not borrow trouble from tomorrow. If Magnum can survive the next 48 hours, we'll worry about his brain function. At this point, that is the least of your concerns. Honestly, you all should go home and get some rest as he is likely to be in surgery for over 12 hours."

"None of the three of us are going anywhere," Higgins responded, firmly. Rick and TC both nodded their absolute agreement and seeing the determination on their faces, the doctor surrendered. "All right. A nurse will be out momentarily with his personal effects, I understand you requested that, Detective Katsumoto? When the nurse comes out she will direct you to the surgical waiting area. I can tell you now, post-surgery Magnum will be in intensive care." The man nodded his head, as he concluded. "If Magnum survives, he has a long haul ahead of him to recover from this. He is going to need your support."

"Trust me," TC said with fervor, "he will have it every step of the way." Rick nodded his agreement.

"Doctor, a word?" Katsumoto queried. He took the man aside and explained that he was going to have to require Magnum be placed in an area of ICU where his 'family' could stay with him at all times and where he could be guarded by the police. The doctor promised to see the necessary provisions were made to comply with the order, for the detective had not allowed it to seem like a request. After the doctor left the area, he explained to Rick, TC, and Higgins what had been agreed to.

*(*(*)*)*

A/N: Conducting a straw poll here…how many readers would like a separate story where (once Thomas' arm heals you'll understand that if I write this), Rick, TC, Kumu, Higgins, and Thomas finally enjoy the Howlin' At The Moon night?

Note: Minor changes above as of 3/1/2019


	5. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 5

Just A Simple Exchange

Ch. 5

*(*(*)*)*

After a long night of bad coffee and worry in the waiting room, Dr. Alan Wakelea walked into the waiting room and introduced an exhausted-looking surgeon to the threesome. "Rick, TC and Higgins, this is Dr. Timothy Tanaka, the thoracic surgeon who was lead on your friend's surgery."

"Mr. Magnum," the man started,

Rick interrupted. "Thomas prefers either Thomas or Magnum, Doctor. He'll be more co-operative if you speak to him that way, especially waking up from anesthesia."

The doctor excused himself a moment as his phone buzzed. "Tanaka here. He did WHAT? Um…hold on just a moment…" He turned back to Rick. "Does your friend tend to be a difficult patient?"

"Why, what did he do?"

The fact the man didn't seem surprised by the question might be telling, Tanaka thought. "He was barely surfacing from anesthesia and he took himself off the ventilator…"

TC tried to keep his laughter in check but immediately said. "I think TM's brain is intact, Rick!"

Rick explained. "Doc, Thomas was a Navy SEAL. He tends to prefer to control his own breathing."

"Oh, Lord…" Tanaka breathed out heavily, "not another McGarrett. Look, generally, we keep a patient who had to have 7 ribs replaced and has severely contused lungs on a ventilator for the first few days post surgery."

"Yeah, and I bet most of those patients are 70 years old plus and suffer from osteoporosis. Thomas, TC and I have osteomalacia from 18 months and 11 days as guests of the Taliban mostly in cages in caves," Rick replied testily. "Unless you are planning on full restraints, which are frowned upon these days, you are going to have a hard time keeping Tommy on a ventilator for 10 minutes, never mind a few days. He's not 'being difficult', Doctor. He's experienced real horrors you wouldn't believe. That tends to give you a healthy disdain from being forced to do anything. If you're smart, you'll just go with frequent inhalation therapy sessions to make sure he's inflating his lungs properly and maybe a positive pressure mask system when he's asleep or unconscious, though, I don't think you'll need that. The man has fantastic breath discipline…again, a former SEAL."

"But his pain…"

"Will be through the roof? Trust us…he'll deal with it. Plus, with way less medication, then you would expect him to need."

"Thomas doesn't tolerate pain meds very well either. He'll tend to deny needing them because they always make him nauseous." TC explained.

"I understand Dr. Wakelea has authorized a request from the police to have officers guarding Magnum even in the ICU and for you to remain with him there. Is that related to having been prisoners of the Taliban?"

"Partially, but there is also the concern the men who attacked him may make another go at it to take him out," Rick replied. "We take care of our own. Guards on the door are fine, but someone you know in the room with him handles other concerns as well."

"I thought you were his brothers?" Tanaka commented.

"In every single sense of the word, we are." TC replied, "but we also served together, were prisoners together…"

The surgeon raised a hand. "Dr. Wakalea has gone back to Trauma, Mr. Calvin. I don't give a fig about HIPAA. I mean, officially I have to care, but what I REALLY care about the needs of my patient and, if Magnum is better with you in the room with him, I'm fine with that. I'll discuss what you just told me with the pulmonologist...he's a bit upset with Thomas right now. He had a plan…"

"And, now, that's all shot to hell." TC snorted.

"Well, it will certainly need adjusting. Look, it just isn't recommended to yank a ventilator with an inflated balloon out of your own throat. Magnum will have a very sore throat for a while."

TC shook his head. "Won't be the first time, doc, trust me. Man doesn't do anything the easy way."

"I can attest to that." Higgins chimed in.

"Did you serve with him, too?"

"In a sense, I serve with him now. Magnum is the security consultant on the estate of Robin Masters where I am the major-domo."

"But Higgins is a part of our little family now, as well." Rick finished.

"Pardon me a moment, while I call upstairs to persuade our pulmonologist the ventilator is unnecessary…I'll come back and finish filling you in, in just a few moments." The doctor stepped out.

*(*(*)*)*

"So Thomas is up to his old tricks," TC said, softly.

"As you said," Rick replied, "his mind is intact…"

TC came back, "and his personality."

"Thank heavens," Higgins remarked.

"Never had a doubt," Calvin assured her and Rick smiled, looking relieved.

Dr. Tanaka came back into the room. "The pulmonologist reluctantly agreed, after he'd already tried to re-insert it only to have Magnum snap at him. 'I'll just pull it out again. Look, I'm breathing on my own, do I really need the thing?' " Neither TC or Rick looked surprised. "Anyway, back to his overall status post surgery, I think clearly we don't have to be concerned regarding your friend's mental status post cardiac arrest. The abdominal bleeding was from a small tear in a hepatic blood vessel. Repairs were complicated by a lot of scarring to some of the blood vessels there – burn scars?"

Rick swallowed heavily, remembering the smell of flesh burning, the scream from his friend and the subsequent infection of the burn. "Gunpowder cautery does that."

The doctor actually shuddered. "Courtesy of the Taliban?"

"The knife wound that necessitated the cautery was the Taliban; the gunpowder cautery was us trying to keep TM alive," TC explained.

Tanaka suddenly exclaimed. "He's that Thomas Magnum! Now I know why I kept thinking you all looked familiar. You escaped the Taliban, yourselves. I remember. I was in country at the time. Holy…" He shook his head. "It was a big deal to us when you guys came back."

"It was a big deal to us, too," Rick assured him.

"Well, he coded twice more during surgery, but he never quit fighting."

"He never does…" TC commented.

"It is the opinion of the surgical staff that Magnum was beaten by fists wrapped in bicycle chains. The arm break was near a previous fracture, so he has two new permanent plates holding his radius and ulna together, in addition to the 3D printed titanium rib replacements. He'll be setting off metal detectors in airports from now on. He had 4 more units of blood during surgery, so we are watching him closely for possible complications from that. We had to take a vein graft from his leg to repair a damaged vein in the liver structure. Honestly, I was surprised he was able to tolerate the orthopedic surgery on his arm after all the work he needed to his chest and abdomen…"

"Thomas tends to surprise doctors," Rick commented drolly.

"Hell, Thomas tends to surprise everybody." TC rejoined.

"We'll be moving him to Intensive Care in about another half hour or so. His chest was a real mess…we were picking bone fragments the size of corn flakes out of his chest wall for quite a length of time while the rib replacements were being printed to size. Part of the reason for him being in intensive care is to watch for complications from the contusions and abrasions to the pulmonary and pericardial sac."

"Did you have to replace the sternum?"

"No, actually the sternum was the one bone up there that wasn't fractured. It appears they were trying to extract information, not kill him, with the beating. The bullet to the chest was another matter, but Rick's field care lessened the impact it could have had. Magnum had one completely collapsed lung which has two chest tubes in place and a partial collapse of the other lung so he has a tube on that side as well. Another reason we thought he'd need to be a ventilator for a while, but we'll be ready to provide support if needed. From the scars on his shoulder, I gather this isn't the first time he has been shot there?" Both Rick and TC indicated affirmation. The doctor thought a moment. "Oh, the bullet from the chest wound was picked up and photographs of his injuries were taken by Dr. Cunha, the Medical Examiner. I think that is everything covered." He reached into his pocket and handed Rick a card. "If you have any questions, concerns or problems, give me a call at any time. The nurse will come and show you to the ICU when Magnum has been settled in his room."

*(*(*)*)*

Shortly after the doctor left, the door to the room opened and Detective Katsumoto peeked in. "Wondered if you were still here. Any news on Magnum?"

"He's out of surgery and acting very Thomas," Rick said.

"So annoying the hell out of the staff and ready to escape already?" The detective responded.

"He'll be spending at least the next couple of days in Intensive Care, so no escape yet," TC replied, more soberly, "but he already removed the ventilator from himself, so he's definitely still Thomas."

"Ouch…that sounds painful." Gordon frowned. "Why'd he do that?"

"Let's just say, Thomas has control issues." Higgins snarked.

"I wanted to let you know I spoke to Robin and he was very helpful. However, I may lose this case…"

"Why?" TC asked. "Thomas knows you and trusts you…"

"And you were first on the scene."

"Five-O has been sniffing around and seem to think it fits their mandate more than mine. Have you ever heard of a group called 'Black Tide'?"

"Group of mercs who were formerly with Academi, but decided to go into business for themselves doing less legally acceptable forms of 'security work', including working for any government as 'soldiers of fortune', murder for hire, and general mayhem…but it's all rumors and hearsay." Rick replied. "Though they DID put out feelers to me and Thomas about joining them."

"They tried to get Thomas to sign up to be a mercenary? Clearly, they don't know the man." TC responded. "He's got the skill set, but he wouldn't do that stuff for just any old someone. Our boy has morals. Shit, that's who Robin's researcher was looking in to? Risky." TC's eyes got big. "When will the guards be here? The ones who beat him and shot him are definitely going to think he's a threat."

"They are waiting to be directed to Magnum's room when he's moved there." Katsumoto smiled. "I didn't forget the need, TC."

The pilot smiled appreciatively. "Hope Five-O leaves you in charge of the case, Detective."

"They haven't taken it yet," Katsumoto replied. "Any idea when I will be able to speak with Magnum?"

"Well, he's talking now, but when they'll let you question him…he went through a lot of trauma and he's critical, so that's up to the doctors at this point." Rick pulled the doctor's card out of his pocket. "I want to hang onto this, but here's the doctor's info."

Katsumoto quickly copied the information down into his notebook. "Thanks, Rick. I appreciate it. The last thing I want to do is complicate his recovery."

"Oh, we understand, Detective…we want these people caught, too," Higgins assured him.

A/N: No, folks. Steve isn't going to steal this case. It stays with Katsumoto, though I am considering an eventual follow up that would be a true crossover with Five-0. And thanks to the wonderful response from my readers, there will be a follow-up which will show Thomas, et al, finally indulging in the HOWLIN' AT THE MOON night. Partially to make up for all the stress this put Magnum's friends through. It'll get a little carried away. I already have that half written in my mind.

Addition of A/N and some adjustments to this chapter performed on 3/3/2019. I don't know if I will get much written tomorrow as that is my birthday. I won't say how old, but I will mention it hit me the other day (sob!) Thomas (Jay Hernandez) is almost exactly the same age as my 'little boy', Phil, will be as of Tuesday. Yep, my son's birthday is the day after mine.


	6. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 6

Just A Simple Exchange

Ch. 6

When the nurse came to show Thomas' friends to his room in ICU, she explained as they walked together. "Magnum is on a BiPAP mask right now because they gave him a pretty heavy dose of pain medication and anti-nausea medicine before moving him out of recovery. He was breathing alright before they medicated him, but with his injuries, the respiratory therapist recommended BiPAP when he is heavily medicated."

"That's fine," Rick said amiably, "but I'll warn you, to keep him safe, you may see some weird things…"

"Like what?" The young woman looked at him oddly.

TC chuckled. "Like in order to ensure he doesn't rip the mask off, Rick will climb up on the bed next to him and stay there to talk him down when he tries it…and he will try it."

"It'll also keep him from accidentally hitting himself in the face with his cast…they put a cast on the broken arm, right?"

"It is a splint until the wounds are healed, Mr. Wright." She replied. "The surgeon was very specific…whatever you think Magnum needs to be safe and comfortable, we'll overlook it. I gather he has some form of PTSD?"

"He has some form of something." TC snorted in response. "We all do…the three of us, not Higgins here, were prisoners of the Taliban for 18 months 11 days, and being tied to a tree while thugs beat the holy hell out of you isn't exactly good for calm awakenings, either."

Rick asked. "Do you have ice packs on the right side of his face and did an ophthalmologist check his eye?"

"Yes, at the moment we have an ice pack on the right side of his face. We leave it on 20 minutes and remove it for 30 per his doctor's instructions. The ophthalmologist looked at his eye and believes his vision will be fine once the swelling recedes. It is very bloodshot right now. They were afraid he might have a detached retina on that side at first, but they have ruled that out now. He has a fracture of his eye socket, but it isn't displaced and should heal without intervention. He has a fairly serious concussion from the beating he took, but his consciousness levels have been fine, he's aware and oriented when he's awake, according to recovery. He's been unconscious since we've had him, but that is because of the medication as I told you earlier." They had arrived at the room door.

The nurse went in, but Rick hesitated a moment at the door, studying the vast array of machines attached to and obstructing an easy view of his friend. Each time the BiPAP machine forced air into his friend's lungs, Magnum's body shook for a moment…the pain meds may be heavy, but they weren't blocking that reaction. Rick sighed, "Oh, buddy…they really did a number on you, didn't they?" He hurried around the far side of the bed and immediately lowered the bed rail. He studied the layout of the tubes coming out of the patient's body. "Could we get a couple of towels so I don't push down on these?" He asked.

The nurse said. "I was just going to move the drainage equipment to the other side."

Rick shook his head. "If we roll towels up and put them on either side of each tube, you don't have to do that, moving things around would mean repositioning him, right?"

Nurse Hong agreed. "If you think that would work, just know we'll be turning him…"

"Frequently to prevent fluid accumulating in his lungs and bringing on pneumonia? Yes, ma'am, I'm familiar with the routine. I just figure if he hasn't been settled into this position for that long, it will be a while before you turn him the first time, right?"

"Yes, the surgeon asked us to wait an hour before turning him."

Wright noticed something. "Is that blood in his urine? Bruised kidney, too?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, we are watching that closely. His kidneys are pretty swollen, so we'll have to watch their function over the next couple of days and, see if the amount of bleeding recedes, hopefully. The nephrologist wants to monitor things with repeat ultrasounds, as his assailants punched him repeatedly in both flanks causing badly contused kidneys."

"Both kidneys?" TC asked.

" 'Fraid so." She replied.

"I missed that," Rick said, a bit miserably.

"Not much you could do for it in field treatment, Orville." TC gently assured him. "You did great, as always."

Rick steadied himself emotionally by showing the nurse how to roll the towels she took from a bedside rack to protect the chest tube coming from the downward side of Magnum's chest and the drainage tube for the Foley catheter. TC found a pillow and Rick climbed up onto the bed, facing Thomas. TC put the pillow against Rick's back and raised the railing. "How's that, Rick?"

"Fine, T, thanks." Rick noticed Magnum's eyes moving rapidly and sighed. "And here we go… "He placed his hand gently on top of Thomas' head and began talking in a soft, calming voice. "It's okay, Thomas…you're safe. This is Hawaii. TC, Higgins and I are here with you."

Nurse Hong frowned. "It's too soon. He shouldn't be waking up this soon. The respiratory therapist and the pulmonologist said he would be out a few hours and it has been nowhere near that long."

"Tommy rarely does what he is expected to, ma'am," TC responded. "Could we get him a heated blanket?" He asked, noting the goosebumps all over Magnum's exposed skin. "The cold may be making him think he's in the Hole, Rick."

Wright nodded, as he gently rubbed the exposed skin on Magnum's upper arm. "I was just thinking the same thing."

"I'll be right back with a heated blanket." The nurse agreed. She thought it was clear these people knew what her patient needed and what would work, but wondered to herself, what was 'the Hole' and was it as sinister and horrific as the tall black man made it sound. She hurried off to get the requested item.

Rick started softly singing. "Tommy used to work on the docks, union's been on strike, He's down on his luck, it's tough, so tough…" TC shook his head grinning.

Higgins cocked her head, looking at the two men quizzically. "Bon Jovi?"

"It's something Tommy actually started himself, while he was in the Hole, believe it or not. The Taliban HATE our music, so Tommy would sometimes, strictly as an act of defiance, start singing 80's Hair Metal rock at the top of his lungs, just to show them they hadn't broken him yet. He'd sing it so loud that sometimes we could actually hear him all the way where we were...and we'd sing it back, just as loud. Sometimes the other prisoners would join in, too." TC frowned. "Earned Magnum more than a few extra beatings…or the Tali would withhold food for the rest of that stay in the hole."

"Did it ever cause them to beat the rest of you as a result?"

"Oddly enough, no. I think they concentrated their ire on the ring leader here." As TC mentioned that, he frowned slightly. "But Thomas didn't care…it was his way of flipping them the proverbial bird."

Rick was continuing to softly sing the song and TC joined in for the chorus. "Woah, we're halfway there…woah, livin' on a prayer…take my hand," As they hit that line, Thomas extended his hand towards Rick and TC smiled. "There's our boy."

Higgins noted that's Magnum's lips were mouthing the words to the song and the BiPAP machine began keening an alarm. The nurse came in with the heated blanket, noted Magnum seemed to be breathing fine and switched the strapped on BiPAP mask for a regular oxygen mask, while TC took the blanket and cocooned Magnum with the warmth. Thomas sighed and relaxed visibly into that warmth, his left eye cracking open, and his lips curving up in a smile as his eyes met Rick. "Hey, guys." A slight frown flickered. "Sorry, guys…guess I should have followed the rule, huh? Don't be mad."

TC shook his head looking at his friend with a long-suffering smile. "TM, you know darn well the rules were created for your protection more than anything else…and as usual, it was yourself that got hurt because you ignored it. We're not mad."

"But you scared the crap out of me, Thomas!" Rick scolded him. "You flatlined, right in front of me, in the chopper as we arrived here. Don't you ever do that again!"

"I didn't stay dead, Rick."

"Doesn't make it okay, Magnum." The blonde club manager groused.

"I know…and I am sorry you had to see that, buddy. I'll try to do better."

"No, you probably won't, but we love you anyway!" TC snorted at him, tolerantly. "You are way too stubborn for your own good."  
*(*(*)*)*

A/N: This is a short chapter because we spent my birthday getting two new tires on our car. I know, fun, right? We went to dinner tonight, so that was nice. Thanks for the B'day wishes. I wasn't fishing for that, really, but I appreciate it. Hope to have another chapter up soon. Have a great day!


	7. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 7

Just A Simple Exchange

*(*(*)*)*  
Ch. 7

Rick felt a slight thrumming through the mattress first, and frowned, studying Magnum's face carefully for clues. His friend's eyes were closed at the moment, the crow's feet around them deeper than just a short while ago and the space between his eyebrows was puckered and the lines there were deepening as he watched. He gently reached out and tried to smooth the creases between the eyebrows with his fingers and felt Magnum trembling. His frown grew and glancing up, he saw TC had noticed and was closing on his side of the bed. "Tommy, what's going on?"

Magnum's eyes flew open and he gulped, heavily. "Huh? Why do you ask?"

"You are getting that scrunchy face thing you get, going on. Pain's getting bad, isn't it?"

Magnum shook his head. "Naw, I'm…."

Both of his friends' finished his sentence, with him. "Fine."

"Yeah, sure you are." TC rolled his eyes, as the alarm on the heart rate monitor began to sound. Right as it did, Thomas began slowly inhaling deeply through his nose and exhaling slowly through his mouth in a very controlled manner. "Come on, guys. It's okay. I've got this. I can handle it." However, the terseness and hesitation between words and phrases suggested otherwise. "I'm sure it's too soon for me to have anything and I don't want anything, anyway. I'll be okay. Just give me a minute here."

TC was turning to go get the nurse, when Nurse Hong entered the room. TC remarked to Magnum, "We might. I doubt she will."

As the nurse was behind him, Magnum looked his question at Rick, but before his watchful friend got a chance to explain, Nurse Hong spoke up, causing the private investigator to flinch slightly, startled. "Magnum, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain?"

Magnum replied firmly. "It's nothing. I can ride this out. Could you please shut off that damn alarm though? It's making my head hurt." He closed his eyes, shaking his head, mouthing 'no, so dumb', realizing, admitting that probably didn't increase his chances of avoiding further medication.

Higgins had come around to Rick's side of the bed, and regarded Thomas with a slightly sardonic expression on her face. "Careful, Thomas…you'll drown in that machismo!"

Thomas opened his eyes, made a face at her and stuck his tongue out, quickly.

Juliet snorted. "Oh, very mature, Magnum."

Nurse Hong gently remonstrated. "Thomas Sullivan Magnum, you mustn't hide your pain from me. You have coded three times in the past 18 hours…you don't need to place unnecessary stress on yourself at this point, unless you enjoy the charming accommodations here in ICU."

"I just really hate throwing up, ma'am," Thomas replied. "Besides, it's too soon for me to have any medication, right?"

"Your doctor thinks you should be on a PCA, but I doubt you would self administer,…" Hong responded. "you would have better pain control that way."

"As long as we're here, we would take care of that for him," Rick remarked, cheerily. "And trust me; we'd know when to do so."

"Rick, you are so not helping."

"That's a matter of opinion, TM." TC chuckled, "And at the moment, yours doesn't count!"

"Hey, traitor, whose side are you on?" Magnum groused at him.

"Yours, always; but, not the you that is your own worst enemy, Thomas," Calvin told him firmly. "You've been through hell and are currently sojourning there still. Riding this out isn't an option right now, TM. Let's see what the doctor can do to help you."

"Do I get a choice?" The retired Commander muttered.

"No!" Everyone else in his room retorted as one voice.

"Figures - outmanned, outgunned and outmaneuvered…" He went on.

"You will get to 'ride out' your suffering a bit longer while I reach your doctor. He'll conference with the other doctors involved in your care to determine how best to handle this." The nurse advised gently, patting his upper arm and frowning as she noticed his persistent trembling. "I'll just go call him."

Trying to distract himself from the rising tide of pain being joined by his other old friend, nausea, Thomas tried to start a conversation with Wright. "So, you haven't told me yet. What's all the damage?"

Rick gave him a disbelieving look. "You really want to have this conversation now? Honestly, Thomas?"

"I'd like to know what all I've got going on, okay?"

"Trying to distract yourself from how much it hurts, aren't you?" TC smiled at Rick as their eyes met.

Rick launched into the rather lengthy list of injuries. When he got to the ribs replaced by 3D printed titanium, Magnum totally cracked his friends up. "Cool! I'm on my way to replacing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine!"

TC shook his head at the man's antics. "First of all, that was Adamantium, not titanium. And, you'd have to have a lot more metal than just the front portion of 7 ribs and the plates and hardware in your arm to qualify for Wolverine. Not to mention which you don't have his nails growing out of your knuckles, my man; or his rapid healing, unfortunately, bucko."

"Those knives coming out of his knuckles would come in handy, though," Thomas replied.

Higgins was facepalming and trying to control her grin as she slowly shook her head side to side. "You gents are all past puberty, right?" She gave Thomas a look which he saw as he was watching her with one corner of his mouth quirked in a grin. "So you won't use Uber, but you drop pop culture references left and right?"

"Hey, we spent a lot of time in the 'Stan watching Marvel movies! Sue me!"

"For what money?" She responded, sardonically. She regretted it when Magnum sighed. The former agent asked, curiously. "Half a mo-, did you have a laptop when you were 'in the 'Stan', as you say?"

Magnum's eyes shot open and he regarded her, briefly. "Yeah, but it got shipped home when we were 'missing' and I imagine it was sold off with my Mom's estate." He closed his eyes again and a single tear rolled down his cheek from his 'good' eye.

Damn! That was the last thing she meant to remind him of! Somehow it seemed she couldn't win with this man. Bloody hell, Magnum had a complicated back story with far too many traumas she barely knew about and understood even less of. It seemed she was constantly to bumping into or blundering over things that caused him emotional pain or stress. It made her feel like an awkward school girl all over again and she hadn't been that for an absolute age! It was infuriating.

Juliet hated feeling this way. He had seemed so simple at first…a glorified beach bum, immature and rather ridiculous at his age, that she had been saddled with at her employer's behest. Instead, he turned out to have more in common with an onion - having layers and layers of complexities hidden just below that deceptively simple appearing surface impression. It was extremely intriguing peeling back the layers, but she didn't really want to add to the man's pain, not at all. She was rather growing fond of him, as much as she liked to pretend otherwise. He grew on you, rather quickly worming his way in, as TC had put it…was that only yesterday? It seemed a lifetime ago. She tuned back into the conversation as Rick continued to list the injuries Magnum had suffered. She gulped at hearing them recounted again and wanted to throttle Magnum when Thomas quipped at the end of the list.

"Oh, is that all?"

"Is that all? My god, Magnum, are you a masochist or something?" Higgins exploded.

"I just meant 'it could be worse'." He retorted. "And no, I am not a masochist. I thought those guys were going to kill me. Anything less and I figure I got off pretty easily."

Rick lightly slapped his head. "Not funny, TM. You did 'die' three times in less than the past 24 hours, so cut it!"

"Hey," Magnum play-cringed, "Careful! I have a concussion, remember? And I told you, I'm sorry that I put you through that. I really am, Rick."

Rick smiled at him. "Just quit minimizing it, Thomas. It traumatized me." Seeing the regret that appeared in his friend's eyes, he immediately ordered. "Do NOT add that to your overly huge list of 'mea culpas', buddy."

"Hey, I may have lapsed, but I'm still a Catholic boy at heart."

"You've lapsed, my giddy Aunt! Besides your dog tags read Episcopalian." TC stated, patronizingly.

"That was the Magnum side, TC. Mom always took me to the Catholic church after Dad died, you know that. They didn't have a box for 'mostly Catholic, but baptized Episcopalian.' " Magnum looked at Rick pleadingly. "Could you get this 'ice pack' off my face? It's gone tepid a long time ago."

"Drat, I am so sorry. I forgot to get that off you when I should have." Nurse Hong rejoined them and immediately moved to take the ice pack off. "I'll bring you a fresh one in a while."

"It's okay. I could use a break from the weight for a while." Rick winced at the appearance of Magnum's face. "Let me guess. I've got an amazing Technicolor display going on?" Thomas reacted to his friend's wince.

"Oh, yeah." Rick acknowledged. "That's got to hurt like hell."

"It kind of blurs in nicely with everything else that's hurting," Magnum admitted.

Both Rick and TC reacted with a bit of alarm at that admission from their friend.

TC launched a pre-emptive strike. "So what did the doctor say about his pain level? 'Cause if my boy here is admitting to that last, it's getting worse as the moments go by."

Trying to change the subject, Magnum spoke up. "I'm kind of surprised respiratory therapy hasn't shown up yet to get me to expand my lungs…"

Recognizing the dodge when she heard it, the nurse advised him. "Not distracted, Magnum…the doctor will be joining us shortly gentlemen to deal with the pain level. RT has been put on hold until he's made that determination, so has turning you before you try that dodge."

Rick commented. "Damn, she's good! You are so busted, Thomas. She has your number now."

"I had his number when I saw 'retired Navy SEAL on his paperwork'. I've cared for McGarrett before."

"How is Steve these days?" Magnum may be down a hand, but he still had cards to play.

"Do you know the Commander?" Hong queried.

"Oh, yes, this Commander knows that Commander," TC assured her. "Even came to his rescue a time or two in the day."

"Now, TC," Magnum protested, "No telling tales out of school."

"Well, damn, Thomas, it's true! The man was supposedly in the reserves and we still had to run to his rescue. Everybody on this damn island thinks the sun rises and sets on McG, but he's got nothing on you."

"Theodore, stand down," Magnum said, sharply, his face flaming red with embarrassment.

"Why, Thomas, it's certainly true? You did come to my rescue a time or two. Hey, Rick, TC," The task force head had just come into the room, while that interplay had gone on. "I'm …"

Juliet smoothly interrupted the man. "The much-vaunted head of Hawaii's Five-O task force, I presume?"

"Much-vaunted? Guess that doesn't impress you much, eh?" The man smiled his most ingratiating smile.

"Detective Katsumoto told us you were trying to take over Thomas' case. I'm Juliet Higgins, the majordomo of Robin Master's estate."

"Oh, yes. I know who you are, Ms. Higgins. There isn't much that happens on this island I am not aware of. However, I backed off of taking the case away from Detective Katsumoto. I'm more interested in getting a look at this 'research' and knowing who the 'researcher' was."

"Number one) we don't even know where it is; and, number two) it is the intellectual, private property of Robin Masters'." Juliet said, archly.

"I know exactly where it is, Higgins," Thomas said, firmly. "As for getting a look at it, Steven, that would take a subpoena because she's right. It belongs to Robin...and who the researcher is, is protected. He's a source."

"I don't think a novelist's sources are protected like a journalist's are, Magnum, but let's set that aside for now." McGarrett had come around the foot of the bed to stand on Rick's side more towards the foot end because Higgins was between them. "Whoa, buddy? They really put you through the grinder, didn't they?"

"Almost literally," Rick agreed, "he's a real mess."

"Gee, thanks, Rick." Magnum retorted.

"If the shoe fits…" TC interjected.

"Commander McGarrett, out! I didn't give you permission to interview my patient yet…or visit him." Tanaka snapped as he came in the door, quelling any excuse the man might have. "This is intensive care, not a step-down unit. Leave."

The commander snapped off a salute at the doctor. "See you soon, Thomas. Get better!" And he exited.

*(*(*)*)*

A/N: I know the time overlaps may not precisely work, but this is my story and I'll play if I want to. And that was just a quick guest appearance…not sufficient to need to re-classify this as a crossover, right? Still not going to become a full-fledged crossover.

Updated with some minor corrections and changes as of 3/6/2019

'


	8. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 8

Just A Simple Exchange

Ch. 8

Once the 5-0 commander had left, Dr. Tanaka laid a gentle hand on Magnum's shoulder feeling how the man was wracked continually with slight tremors. "Commander, what's your pain level?"

"It's really bad," Thomas admitted, panting slightly, "and I'm very nauseated, too."

TC bit his lip and turned away, because he knew if Magnum was admitting that, most men would have been screaming from the pain.

The doctor turned to Nurse Hong and ordered some meds fetched stat. "We'll take care of that in just a moment. I've sent the nurse to get you something for nausea and meds for the breakthrough pain. The anesthesiologist will be coming down with a PCA pump which will have onboard medication, pre-mixed with both analgesic and anti-nausea medication. Will you gentlemen see to it, the Commander gets a hit when he needs it?"

Rick quickly assured him that would be taken care of. The doctor explained. "If the meds from the PCA are insufficient at any point, let the nurse know. I will have a shot on order if the pain exceeds the PCA's capacity to keep it in check. Our monitoring indicates his pain level is affecting his heart rhythm which we don't want. Try to keep him as comfortable as possible. Don't let him try to be a tough guy. He needs to rest in order to heal, not waste all his energy fighting the pain." He looked down at Thomas. "Did you hear me, Commander? None of this macho nonsense - no more."

Magnum nodded. "Roger that, Doc. I'll behave, but please…stop calling me Commander. I'm retired."

"You still earned the rank, and the respect it entails."

Thomas shook his head. "Everyone who served, deserves respect, Doctor. Nuzo was a CPO but he knew more about the Navy than I ever will. The CPO's make the Navy go, not officers."

"And if you don't think that is unusual in an Academy grad, you don't know anything about being in the service," Rick remarked.

"I'm not ashamed of having been an officer, Doc, but I don't want it bandied about, okay? Just call me Thomas or Magnum. That's what I want. Can you respect that, please?"

The doctor acquiesced. "Very well, Magnum, as you wish."

"Thank you."

"I'll see you later, Thomas." The doctor left.

As soon as he was gone, Magnum looked at Higgins. "Where are my pants I was wearing?"

"Thomas!" TC explained. "You are not leaving AMA, man."

"No, I'm NOT. I want to give Higgins the research. With Steve sneaking in here earlier, I don't want to chance him getting his hands on it before Higgy transmits it to Robin, okay?"

"Oh, okay. That's different." TC handed Higgins a bag. "His clothes are in there."

Higgins opened the bag and pulled out his pants, as TC continued. "We checked though, TM. There's nothing in there."

"Yeah, there is. You just have to know where to look." Thomas reached into the pocket and there was a slight scritch sound and he was handing Higgins a compact thumb drive, he turned the pants and repeated the action on the other side. "Have Kumu come to get you and transmit those to Robin right away, okay?"

"Magnum, I'm not leaving until you are…."

"Higgins, that's important to Robin and Rick and TC will be here with me. I'll be fine. I appreciate you staying, but you have things to attend to that have to take priority."

The majordomo sighed and conceded the point. "I will be back as soon as the data is received, Thomas. Do you understand me?"

The private investigator gave her a grateful smile. "You don't have to."

"Yes," she said, firmly, "yes, I do. And Robin will agree with me, so no more nonsense."

"Why is everyone accusing me of nonsense all of a sudden? I just…"

"Quit while you are ahead, Thomas," TC advised. "Whatever you were going to say next - don't."

Magnum smiled, and then grimaced, closing his eyes and swallowing heavily. "Oh, man."

The door opened and Nurse Hong came into the room with two syringes. Rick was gently patting Thomas on his good hand. "Easy, buddy, easy." The nurse injected first one syringe, then the next one into the port on his IV. "That should help, soon, Magnum."

"Thank you, Nurse," Thomas responded.

Higgins had been inspecting the pockets of Magnum's cargo pants and found the two extensions to his pockets, barely larger than the thumb drives he had taken out that were hand sewn into the base of the pockets with an opening that sealed by Velcro. They had been sewn so they blended into the overstitched seams of the cargo pants/shorts and would be very hard to find via a standard pat-down search. "Magnum, are these pocket extensions what Kumu gave you earlier yesterday?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Oh, I say, this is very clever and well done. Who was it who sewed them in place?"

"I did - my mom taught me stuff like that."

"It's quite well done. It blends perfectly with the seam. A standard pat-down would never turn the items secreted in there up."

"I know. That was the plan 'just in case'; and it worked like a charm."

"Clever boy," TC commented.

"I have tricks up my sleeve, or, in this case, down in my pockets," Thomas replied, but yawned which caused Rick to smile and urge him, as he gently stroked his hand over Magnum's upper arm. "Don't fight the medicine, Tommy. Relax into it. You need the rest."

"Okay." The pain lines on Magnum's face began to fade away as the meds kicked in. "Won be able to 'alk…ugh…right any'ay…" Rick shook his head, amused at how quickly the meds interfered with his friend's ability to speak clearly. TC turned away from the bed, went to the door and peeked his head out.

"Rick, will you be okay, if I take Higgins to the estate, real quick?"

"Are the guards Katsumoto promised here?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, Frick and Frack are at the door." TC answered quickly, "Or I wouldn't even have asked. You know that."

"Than sure…" He moved as if to go to his pockets than snorted. "Oh, yeah…came by your van…"

Higgins tried to protest. "Oh, I say, gents, you don't have to do that…"

"It's done. It'll save Kumu the trip." TC easily overrode her protest.

"Want me to pick you up something to eat while I'm out?" TC asked.

"A Poke bowl?" Rick requested.

"You got it." When he saw the gunner move as if to get his wallet, TC overrode that action, stating. "Forget about it, O, I've got it covered."

"Actually, I'll make that my treat for both of you." Higgins insisted firmly.

"Make that a large." Rick quipped immediately.

"Fully intended to." Juliet immediately responded, easily. "I'll be back as soon as Robin verifies he's received the data."

"You don't have to do that, Higgy. Get some rest."

"Oh, I insist. I will not be leaving except for this quick side trip until Magnum is moved out of Intensive Care."

Rick shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Magnum coughed, his eyes opening a bit panicked. TC handed Rick a box of Kleenex he found somewhere and Wright took one, lifted the O2 mask and wiped the blood that was at the corner of his friend's mouth, asking. "Got more in your mouth?"

Magnum nodded and Rick held the Kleenex in place as he spit more out, muttering. "That's fr'm me pulling the…"

"ventilation tubing out earlier… Yea, I figured. Throat hurt much?"

"Only when I cough, or swallow…or y'know…" Magnum's eyes closed again and he drifted off again.

Rick just shook his head. "Tommy, Tommy, Tommy…" The affection in his tone as he said that was obvious.

"See you later, Rick. Won't be long."

"Why don't you just wait until Higgins gets confirmation the data is received?" Rick recommended. "I've got this. Thomas and I will be just fine."

TC nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

*(*(*)*)*

A/N: I know, a real editor would have been saying to this chapter...'does this really move the story forward?' To which I say, 'It's my story and I'll write what I want to...write what I want to...write what I want...you would do that too if it happened to you.' Let me know if this was too mundane, but I crave this kind of detail...and I had fun writing. I also invented a word, if you didn't notice. I call the sound Velcro makes a 'scritch' and I have for a while. Once again...my story...my words. Lol!


	9. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 9

Just A Simple Exchange

*(*(*)*)*

Ch. 9  
*(*(*)*)*

About half an hour after TC and Higgins left, Rick carefully turned over and raised up, moving the pillow that had been behind his back. Magnum spoke, hoarsely. "You okay, Rick?"

Rick turned his head and regarded his friend. "Fine…just need the little boy's room. Throat worse?"

"No, not really…just not using it a while makes me sound like a frog."

Rick chuckled. "Appropriate for a Frogman."

Thomas' lips quirked into a slight grin. "Jarhead."

"Squid…"

"Yep."

"Go back to sleep, Thomas. I'll be back."

"Ok, Arnold!"

"Goof." Rick snorted affectionately. "Sleep…"

Magnum made a visible effort to relax, beginning to breathe in the familiar pattern of slowly in through the nose and blowing the breath, very, very gradually out through the mouth.

Rick nodded approvingly, knowing the regular, almost meditative breathing would likely help TM drift back off and getting back to business himself, he found the mechanism to release the upper portion of the bed rail to let it down. He was careful of all the tubes and accoutrements coming from Magnum, as he eased himself off the bed, so he could go do what he needed to and get back to his friend.  
***(*(*)*)***

Coming back out of the small bathroom in the ICU room, Rick frowned to see Thomas' head tossing in distress. "Thomas…what's wrong?" He asked softly. Seeing the arm in the splint begin to move, he practically levitated to the bedside, grabbing the arm across the bed centimeters from impacting Magnum's face. "Oh, no you don't! Your face is bashed in enough, buddy."

Magnum's eye flew open and the terror he saw in them hit Rick like a physical blow, made even worse when Magnum hoarsely cried out. "Nuzo?!"

"Oh, Tommy…not this again," Wright said softly.

"My fault…all my fault." Thomas' eyes slid shut and his eyes closed.

"Damn it, Thomas; we've been through this before. It's NOT your fault. He should have called you sooner. He damn well called Buck Greene three times before he called you? Rookie mistake! If he'd called you the 2nd time instead of Greene, he'd probably still be alive."

"Rick, you can't blame the dead guy," Magnum argued. The tone on the heart monitor began to sound and Thomas opened his eye to roll it. "God, I hate that thing."

"Probably hated tattletales in school, too, didn't ya?" Rick retorted. "Cheese it, bub. Here comes the nurse."  
***(*(*)*)***

Nurse Hong entered the room. "Everything alright in here?" Her sharp eyes noticed the grip Rick had on the raised, splinted arm and she frowned. "Magnum, let's rest our arm back on the pillow please."

Magnum mouthed, "Our arm?" at Rick.

Rick tried to keep from smirking at the man's crack. That he wasn't very successful was obvious when the nurse asked. "I say something funny, Mr. Wright?"

"No, ma'am."

"Sorry, Nurse…" Magnum apologized. "Just got attacked by a random memory." He coughed violently, wincing at the same time. Rick grabbed the Kleenex and raised the O2 mask to wipe the blood away from his friend's mouth, looking the question if there was more he needed to spit out. Magnum indicated no and Rick replaced the mask.

"How long have you been coughing up blood?" Nurse Hong demanded.

"Ever since I pulled the ventilator out in recovery." Thomas retorted, in a very even tone. "Tore up my throat a bit, so that will be happening until it heals."

"And you are sure that is where it is coming from?" The nurse questioned.

"Based on the feeling of my throat when it happens; yeah, pretty damn sure," Magnum replied. "I know my body very well, ma'am. Sorry about the language."

Nurse Hong actually smiled a little. "Trust me, I've heard worse. I was a Nurse in the Air Force during the 1st Gulf War."

"Still, my mother raised me better than that, ma'am," Thomas replied.

"And your father?"

Rick closed his eyes, thinking 'not helping', as Magnum responded, evenly. "Died when I was six, Ma'am, in Viet Nam."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Thomas. I didn't know."

"No reason you should." TM sighed. "Nurse, I think you may need to flush my catheter."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I feel like I need to use the restroom…and, no, it isn't a bladder spasm – I know what those feel like." Rick was checking the tubing of the Foley and lifted it slightly so the nurse could see it wasn't draining. His eyes noticed another drain also wasn't draining. "Um, Thomas…you feeling any pressure anywhere else?"

Magnum looked thoughtful. "My chest…just this side." He pointed to the side he was lying on, adding, "It's hurting more, too."

Nurse Hong frowned, as she explained. "I'll have to call your doctor to get authorization to irrigate your drainage tubes, Thomas. I'll go make that call."

"Thank you, Nurse." Magnum called after her as she left the room.

***(*(*)*)***

When he was sure she was gone, he spoke to Rick urgently. "It wasn't a memory, Orville. Nuzo was here, but he wouldn't take me with him. I wanted to go…Rick, I really wanted to go, but he wouldn't let me."

Rick tugged at his blonde hair and exploded. "Thank God, Tommy. Thank God. We can't lose you, too. We can't. I can't. I-I need you, Thomas."

"Yeah! Sure. Need me? For what? To take advantage of you? Pull the other one, Orville." The bitterness in his tone didn't sound like Magnum to the former Marine gunner. He was getting seriously worried here. He wished TC were here, right now. His goosebumps had goosebumps because this kind of stuff gave him the heebie-jeebies. He had no doubt Thomas has seen Nuzo. He'd come out of the bathroom when he did because he had had a huge sense of wrongness coming too close for comfort.

"Thomas, listen to me. That crap about you taking advantage-that is just that. It's crap."

"No, it's not. It's true…and I hate myself for it." Magnum admitted. "That's not who I was raised to be."

Rick snorted, genuinely angry now. "No, you were raised to let everybody in the fucking world take advantage of you. The government, Buck Greene, Robin, us, Hannah, the list is long and infamous. You are too good for this planet, Thomas. You have a heart as big as TC is tall and as strong as granite, but you never cut yourself the least bit of slack, even when you need it. No, Tommy, leave that." He caught Magnum's uninjured hand as it began to move towards the Foley catheter. "Trust me, you do not want to pull that tubing out. Wind up singing soprano in the choir if you do that."

"It would not and you know it." TM retorted. "It would hurt, yea; but it wouldn't turn the rooster into a hen. I know darn well you know that. I really need to go…the fullness has gone way beyond uncomfortable. I don't know how much longer I can wait."

"Looks like you won't have to…here comes Nurse Hong." Rick chirped, relieved to have something to distract him from how intense things had been getting between the two of them. He was really worried about the things Thomas was saying. The way his friend was feeling was not conducive to healing; it was conducive to wanting to let go and that wasn't good when a person was critically ill.

***(*(*)*)***

The nurse entered the room pushing a small cart with equipment and a bottle of sterile water on it. Thomas opened his good eye and regarded her as she came around the side of the bed he was facing. "Nurse Hong, I presume?" He sassed.

"Oh, my. This is the first time we've actually met face to face, isn't it?"

"It is." Thomas acknowledged. "You've been a voice behind me until now."

"I'm so sorry. I usually introduce myself to my patients properly when they first come on my service, but…."

"I was plowed under on pain meds when they moved me in here, so it's not your fault, Nurse. I'm Thomas Magnum."

"Kelana Hong…" The nurse replied. "You have very nice manners."

"Kelana is a pretty name, a pretty name for a pretty lady." Thomas continued to charm the woman.

"Thank you. Let's get you fixed up, so you'll be more comfortable."

Rick squeezed around the cart and went to the other side of the bed, placing his hand on Magnum's upper arm. "I'm right here, Thomas." He noted the red creeping up Thomas' neck. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, buddy. "

The truth was, Wright wasn't looking forward to the process as he knew irrigating the Foley would be uncomfortable enough knowing how full Magnum already felt, but the chest tube was liable to be a whole other level of discomfort. As if TM didn't have enough going on already, he hadn't needed this. His worry over Magnum's mental state wasn't diminished either. He bent down close to Thomas' ear and started telling him a rather ribald story to distract him. Real stories from the club tended to be very effective at this particular task with his friend.

***(*(*)*)***

A/N: In case you haven't guessed by now, I am basing a lot of this whumpage on actual experiences I had as a practical nurse on a surgical floor in the 70's. And I know I need to start skipping some of the details because this stuff is only interesting to people who have shared things like this...I do tend to get overly detailed. Still writing is cathartic to me and so many memories are flowing through me, whumping poor TM and coming out on paper. And yes, folks, Thomas will recover eventually and there is more to the story than just whumpage. I'll try to move the story ahead more tomorrow. Mea culpa, if this is too much whumpage.

A/N 2: I knew more than one male patient to do just what Rick prevented TM from doing here (pull out their Foley catheter...inflated balloon and all). None of them wound up singing soprano. I also remember vividly myself and my best friend, sitting on the arms of a guy trying to remove his nasal packing post nose job(not for vanity...he had a deviated septum and was a pilot). He kept shouting, "I have to take her up, I have to take her higher." I looked at my friend across his body and cracked. "Captain, I think you are high enough!"


	10. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 10

Just A Simple Exchange

*(*(*)*)*

Ch. 10 

The nurse prepared to irrigate the Foley catheter first, laying a Chux pad on the bed with an edge trailing over the side of the bed nearest her. Taking a large syringe and placing it on the cart top next to her alongside the bottle of sterile water, she clamped the drainage tube on the Foley bag to the side of the bed sheet. She had the tube from the catheter held bent in her hand so that even if it had been draining, nothing would come out. She filled the syringe with the water and inserted it in the tip of the tube leading into the catheter, and spoke gently. "Take a deep breath, Thomas."

The former SEAL did as instructed.

As she forced the fluid into the tubing, Magnum's legs knifed towards his chest before Rick could stop them. Thomas managed to stop his legs before he would have struck the nurse, murmuring. "Sorry, Nurse Hong,"

The woman smiled gently. "Wouldn't be the first time…I'm amazed you had the restraint to stop yourself."

"Naval Academy will do that for you, ma'am. Not to mention, my mom would have taken my head off if I'd hit you." The Frogman replied, looking at Rick who was shaking his head at him. Thomas panted slightly. "As much as I hate to admit it, Nurse, I don't think one was enough."

"Unfortunately, I didn't think it would be. Ready for me to do it again?"

"Not really, but I know you have to, so let's do it." Rick reached down and pulled Thomas legs back into position and held them there. "Hold tight, Rick."

"I got you, just don't kick me." The gunner replied.

"I'll try not to." Magnum managed a grin though it was clear the fullness had gone into pain long ago.

The nurse repeated the process a second time and this time she felt something give and quickly connected the Foley tubing to the drainage tube and released the clamp, watching as the fluid ran down into the drainage bag hung below on the frame of the bed. She knelt down taking a large red colored pitcher down from the lower shelf of the cart and placing it on the floor she flipped the drainage tube down so it went into the pitcher, unclamped it as the bag was rapidly filling up.

Magnum exhaled a sigh. "Whew…so much better."

"How do you spell relief, huh, buddy?" Rick smiled at his friend.

Impishly, Thomas started spelling out. "W-h-i-"

"Don't finish that, Thomas. Your mom woulda whooped you up the side of your head…" Rick kidded him. "Language like that in front of a lady."

Nurse Hong chortled. "Son, I'm not a lady, I'm a nurse!"

"Still a lady…" Rick and TM both chanted in perfect time.

The nurse smiled at the two friends. She clamped the lower drainage hose of the bag and snapped it up against the bag, then raised the pitcher, checking the level. "Good Lord! Almost 1800 ml's? That's some capacity you have there, sailor."

Magnum was bright red in the face in embarrassment in response to which the nurse just smiled tolerantly at his chagrin and went to dump the fluid out in the bathroom. They heard the water run as she rinsed the pitcher, brought it back and returned it to the bottom shelf of the cart. 

*(*(*)*)* 

"Now," Hong spoke softly, "I'm going to have to flush the chest tube."

Thomas nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'm ready."

"This is liable to be more uncomfortable."

"I don't think so," Magnum assured her.

The woman changed the Chux underpad for a fresh one, even though the old one wasn't noticeably soiled. She excused herself to go and wash her hands thoroughly. She returned, washed her hands again with the steri-wipe from the package of the kit for flushing the chest tube. She had already closed the three-way valve on the drainage unit for the chest tube. Now she put on sterile gloves, used the different syringe included to draw up fluid from the second sterile water bottle she had procured from the lower shelf on the cart inserted into the flushing valve on the chest tube and slowly pressed the plunger into the syringe releasing the fluid into the system. Magnum jumped slightly as the fluid pushed into his chest, then sighed in relief as the clots slid out the tube, down the drainage system and proper drainage of his chest resumed. "Thank you, Nurse Hong."

"Just doing my job, Magnum."

"Still, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Thomas. Think you can get some more rest?"

"I don't know…I'm kind of uncomfortable, but I'll try." Thomas' eye closed, Rick gently began rubbing TM's back and the man almost purred. "Keep that up a while, will you, Rick? It's helping."

"Just relax, buddy."

The nurse regarded the two men with genuine affection. "Now that's a sight to see. True trust and caring between friends…you are lucky to have each other."

Rick smiled at the nurse. "We really are." He assured her. "Even if this one keeps getting himself hurt and near killed all the time."

"I don't do it on purpose," Thomas muttered. "And I said I'm sorry."

"Still not mad - you just worry me, bro, damn sense of wanting to serve everyone." Wright's affection was obvious in his tone. "Relax. Try and sleep."

"Uh-huh…" Magnum sounded as if he was already starting to dose as he answered. 

The nurse smiled at the sleeping man, glad to see his face looking more peaceful. "I love seeing the way you care for your friend, Rick."

"If you knew half the stuff he's done for me over the years, Ma'am, you'd realize I couldn't repay him if I did this every day for the rest of my life. The three of us…it used to be four, but Nuzo died earlier this year. We survived hell. Thomas would steal food from our captors for us. Always claimed he'd already eaten his share. Tried to steal a gun. Tried to steal a radio. Took the beatings, time in the hole, time in solitary…gone so long at times, we were sure he was dead this time, but they'd drag him back in worse shape, then the previous time. He was willing to do anything, to endure anything, to get us out; and, he didn't care if he made it out, too. We wouldn't go for that. Had to be all of us getting out together..or none of us would go. That's what these rings stand for. As long as we stick together, we can survive anything. He's pretty damn special."

"Sounds like you all are. I'm sorry for your loss of your friend, Nuzo."

"Yeah, that still hurts. It always will, but it's hardest on Thomas because they were SEALs together and real, real close. He…he said." Rick paused a moment, clearly too distressed to continue for an instant. "He said he saw Nuzo earlier…said he wanted to go with him, but Nuzo wouldn't let him. I-I told him, 'Thank God for that.' I just can't lose him, too."

Compassionately, the nurse reassured him. "Keep doing what you are doing, Rick…between you and I, we'll make sure this young man doesn't go anywhere!"

"Thanks, Nurse."

"It's a pleasure, Rick Wright. You let me know right away if those tubes stop again."

"Oh, don't worry, I will."

"Good man." She winked at him and left the room, pushing the cart in front of her.

A/N: Another chapter...short one today - but also posted a vignette to Restless, so...forgiven?


	11. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 11

Just A Simple Exchange

Ch. 11

TC called Shammy as he paced outside the main house waiting for Higgins to upload the research to Robin. "Hey, Shammy, any problems with the cancellations of the tours today?"

"Naw, I just told them it was a family emergency and everyone was very understanding. How's Magnum?"

"It's bad, brother. He's really critical, but he's fighting so I have full faith he'll make it. Thomas doesn't know the meaning of quit." He shook his head. "It's just hard seeing him so messed up, you know. You think you come home from the Sandbox and stuff should be safer."

"Yeah, but Magnum did choose a dangerous line of work when he became a private eye." Shammy pointed out.

"Well," TC snorted, "it's dangerous the way Thomas does it. Everything that boy does, he does balls to the wall, but still you would think running an errand for Robin Masters wouldn't damn near get him killed."

Shammy laughed, pointing out. "Hey, with what you've told me about TM's history with Masters' requests, I'd say this incident was right on course."

"True, true…it's just-"

"Oh, I get it, brother. You wish being stateside would mean the streak of bad would end when you hit the plane home, but evidently not."

"That's for damn sure, but, in fairness, Robin feels real bad according to Higgy. He's paying the whole freight for the hospitalization, which will no doubt cost him a pretty penny, but he can afford it and he is definitely responsible, so…"

"Good thing he stepped up to the plate on that, then…."

"Hey, Robin has been good to all of us, money wise, I'll give him that. I wouldn't have Island Hoppers without him. Rick wouldn't have his job and Thomas –well, you know…"

"Yeah, he seems like a good friend to have, until he starts asking Thomas for favors, hey?" Shammy replied.

"Precisely." TC agreed. "So look, Shammy, I'm not flying tomorrow for sure. If folks call, just keep with the family emergency…I prefer not to leave until we get Thomas out of ICU. I'll check in with you as often as I can, because I can't take calls in the ICU room. If some of the ones I had to cancel on, need to be referred to another helo company let me know by text and I'll get back to you when I take a break, okay? I have a few comps I can set arrangements up with, but that will need me to finesse them."

"Well, we'll work it out. TC, on another topic, you got a package by way of a messenger service today…it's weird though."

"I'll say it's weird. I didn't order anything…so I'm not expecting a package."

"No, that's not what's weird. I swear this package is from Thomas."

"What? Well, what gives you that idea and what is it?"

"I didn't open it, TC. It's marked personal. And I recognize Magnum's handwriting, but the return address is THE WK FOUNDATION."

"Say again. Did you say 'the WK foundation'?"

"Yeah, does that mean something to you?"

"WK…White Knight…that was Thomas' call sign in the Sandbox and as you know is the name Robin uses for the character based on him in the books. What the hell did that boy go and do? Crack that bad boy open, Shammy. You know I have full trust in you."

"You sure? Again, it's marked 'Personal'"

TC just chuckled. "Shammy, open the damn thing. You have aroused my curiosity." The retired Marine heard the sound of paper ripping and Shammy swore. "TC, I'm putting this in the safe, man."

"Why? What is it?"

"A butt load of money is what!"

"What? How much?"

"You don't want me to count it, do you?"

"Guess, man. Or approximate…whatever."

"Well, they are in $10,000 bundles and there are 4 of them, plus an envelope with a wad more of cash in it and a note."

"So, $40,000 plus change? Damn it, Thomas, all I wanted was gas money! That's too damn much! What is that boy thinking? Oh! …Oh, no, you don't, Thomas Sullivan Magnum the IVth! Damn, I have got to get back to the hospital."

"What's wrong, T?" Shammy asked.

"That's quitting money, Shammy. The boy always said if he knew the end was near, he would make all of us whole before he checked out."

"Are you saying he got hurt on purpose?"

"No, not exactly, but I think his 'little voice' had a lot more to say than just a warning to be careful. I think he knew he was facing a potentially life-threatening situation and he went ahead with it anyway. See, Thomas struggles with depression, especially since Nuzo died. He promised us he would never commit suicide and he meant it, but if he knew he could check out without it being that - he might think that was okay."

"Oh, damn. You really think…?"

"I don't want to, but it's got me spooked, brother."

"I hear you. What are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I can't whoop his ass right this minute, but I can sure as hell read him the riot act the next time he's awake and aware and tell him he does NOT get to check out on us even if he has 'made me whole'. Damn it." TC was genuinely upset.

Shammy sighed. "T…you need to know this. Rick got a package at the King K club too. Same deal. I know 'coz Keiki called me earlier. I don't know what's in it, but…"

"Yea, Shammy, I get what you are saying…the odds are good it's the same deal. Double damn. This is so not good. Shit." Theodore thought for a minute. "Shammy, you're still going to be there a while, right?"

"'Til quitting time, brother, same as always, why?"

"I may need a favor from you, but let me go check and see how things are coming with Higgy and I'll call you back, okay?"

"Sure thing…until then, I am putting this package in the safe, okay?"

"You bet, thanks, Shammy."

"Talk to you soon."

"For sure…one way or the other." TC replied and they ended the call.

***(*(*)*)***

TC entered the main house, looking for Higgins…and arrived just in time to see Kumu handing Higgins a package which immediately gave the big black man a very bad feeling about this.

"Higgins, how's the data transmission coming?"

"One down, one to go, TC. Everything all right?"

"Not really, no. Nothing I can prove, yet, but I've got a very bad feeling about something."

The former MI6 agent looked at him curiously but turned to Kumu. "What is this, Kumu?"

"A package came for you today. I swear this is Thomas' handwriting. It came by messenger and I had to sign for it, but it says it is from…"

TC interrupted. "Let me guess…The WK Foundation?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Yes, TC, how did you know?"

"Because I got a package from The WK Foundation, too…and so did Rick at the King Kamehameha Club; and, if yours is the same, it is going to be a bunch of cash money."

"What? Why wouldn't he just give me a check?"

TC's eyebrows climbed into his hairline. "Really? After the last time? Would you take it?"

"Of course. I do know where he lives. And why so mysterious, from this fictional foundation and by messenger."

"I have my suspicions, but please…open it up and we'll solve the mystery."

Higgins frowned, but complied and was so startled by what she found; she sat down rather abruptly in the seat by the desk she was standing near. "Good Lord…how did you know?"

TC was startled by the size of the pile of cash he was seeing. "How much is that?"

Higgins was reading the note that was with the bundles of cash. "Hmmm? Well, according to this, it is payment for the balance of what he owes me from me getting the Ferrari out of hock after his check bounced, plus the full value of two Ferrari's… Wait, half a mo! That's not right. He got the one Ferrari repaired, so he only owes the value of one Ferrari and Robin insisted on forgiving that, so he doesn't owe that either. What's he up to?"

"Damn," TC swore devoutly, "I was afraid of that."

"What, TC?" Higgins was picking up on the big man's worry and it was making her very uncomfortable.

"He's overpaying to make up for not having paid sooner, Higgins. It's check out money."

"What? What do you mean, check out money?"

"He's making both you and Robin whole for what he feels he owes you, Higgins. In case he doesn't make it."

"But this has to have been arranged for and sent before he was injured, TC. Are you saying he's psychic or something?"

"I'm saying he was making sure that if things went really fubar, you wouldn't forever resent his memory for having left you hanging money-wise." TC snapped…then realized that was not appropriate. "Higgins, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm upset. TM does not get to check out just because he got the money from his mom's estate to pay everybody up to date."

Juliet looked very troubled. "He most certainly does not! He better survive this, or I'll bloody well bring him back and kill him again."

Kumu shook her head. "She totally would do that, too."

"Let's hope and pray she won't have to!" TC stated.

Higgins fiddled with her computer, checking how close it was to finishing uploading the data to Robin. "89% complete, oh, bloody hell! Hurry the hell up!"

TC couldn't help it. He smiled at the woman's frustration. "Higgy, I don't think cussing it out is going to make the connection any faster."

"Oh, bloody hell…and we still have to get Poke for Rick."

"Actually, on that, I have an idea. When it's getting close, I'll call Shammy and have him pick up the Poke's and meet us midway to hand them off. Sound like a plan?"

"Certainly, it will save us some time. I'll reimburse you for the cost, of course."

"Fine, Higgy, at this point that is the least of my worries, you know?"

"I do indeed."


	12. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 12

Just A Simple Exchange

***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 12  
***(*(*)*)***

An hour later, TC and Higgins arrived back at the hospital. Shammy had met them at a point on the H3 with 3 Poke bowls and Higgins had paid the man. Higgins had the least smelly Poke bowl so it was decided she would stay in the room to keep an eye on Thomas while Rick and TC ate elsewhere so that the smell of the Poke didn't make Magnum hungry for food he couldn't have at this point. It would give Rick and TC a chance to discuss what to do about the 'quitting money' dilemma. They had to discuss how to handle talking to Thomas about this.

As they arrived at the room, the anesthesiologist was just leaving the room having delivered and set up the patient-controlled-analgesia unit. Rick had already insured Thomas would get back to sleep by administering some of the medication as the set-up had disturbed the man's rest. In this case, considering how stubborn the retired Navy Commander tended to be, Rick was tempted to just call it friend controlled analgesia unit! The moment Rick saw TC at the door; he popped out of the room briefly to advise the big man. "TC, we've got to talk."

"Hell, yeah, we do...you don't even know how bad we do!" TC responded with some heat. "We've got the Poke...and as ours are smelly and Higgy's isn't so much, she'll stay in the room with TM while we go eat."

Rick nodded, good with that. "Okay, Theodore, let me just go in and show Higgins how the PCA works and explain what the anesthesiologist told me on that." Just then Nurse Hong was passing by and he went over to the woman and spoke to her briefly, explaining about them not wanting to eat in the room, with their smellier food and she turned to TC and said. "Young man, if you'll come with me a moment I will show you to a place where the two of you can eat and talk in some privacy, undisturbed and without disturbing anyone else."

"Yes, ma'am." The helicopter pilot responded. "Appreciate that."

Rick went in to bring Higgins up to speed on the arrangements and the medication plan.

***(*(*)*)*  
**

A short time later, he emerged from Thomas' room to find TC waiting to lead him to their private dining area in the nurse's break room. The two friends headed to the room and sat down with their meals. Not wanting Orville to lose his appetite, TC suggested they eat first and after, they would talk.

The two followed the long-ingrained habit of eating quickly, quietly, and efficiently. However, TC had known from the moment they sat down that something was eating at Rick, which rather worried the Marine as Rick did not yet know about the 'check out money' yet. What had happened while he and Higgy were gone that had Rick so rattled?

The moment Rick finished his Poke, he tossed a napkin into the bowl, checked the status of TC's bowl and seeing the big man was also done. "Can we talk now, T?" TC frowned. Rick sounded a bit panicked.

"Rick, buddy, settle. What's going on? Did Thomas code again while we were gone or something?"

"Or something, Calvin...he-I had to use the little boy's room and while I was in there, I got that crept out feeling, you know the one?"

TC leaned forward. "Yeah? What happened?"

"I washed my hands real quick and came out and Tommy was all restless, tossing his head. He nearly knocked himself in the head with his splint on his bad arm."

"But you flew to him and stopped his arm just short of hitting himself, am I right?"

Rick nodded, miserably. "His eyes flew open and he...he cried out Nuzo's name."

TC closed his eyes, "Oh, damn. No, Tommy, no." He shook his head. "Let me guess. He said, "My fault, all my fault..."

Rick sighed. "Yeah...anyway, some other stuff went on and the nurse had to go and get orders so she could irrigate TM's Foley and chest tube." TC winced. "Yeah, he was really uncomfortable, but after she left, he told me Nuzo had been there...and he wanted to go with him...he really wanted to go with him, but Nuzo wouldn't let him." The look on Rick's face was matched by the anxiety on Theodore's. "I told him 'Thank God for that. I told him we need him. I-I told him I needed him...and you know what he said."

"No, but I got a bad feeling it wasn't good."

"Thomas said," Rick gulped, as if his throat had a lump too big to speak. "...he said. He said. "Yeah, sure. Need me, for what? To take advantage of you? Pull the other one, Orville." I've - I've never heard Tommy sound so bitter...so empty. It scared me, TC."

"Rick, I wish that were the worst of it." Theodore sighed. "You have a package at the King Kamehameha club from The WK Foundation. Higgins and I both got one each as well."

"WK? Thomas? What's in them?"

"Well, if yours is the same as ours, at least three times whatever he owes you money-wise."

Wright's anxiety clearly pegged way above extremely high when he heard that. "'Making us whole' money? No...No...No...No. Where is our boy's head at T? He can't."

"He won't, Orville. We won't let him." Calvin was absolutely certain about that. "Clearly, I have to quit laying it on Magnum about owing me gas money.'Course with the 40 plus G's he just gave me the boy won't owe me for a good long time; if I keep it, which I won't."

"Yeah," Rick snorted, "well, unless you plan on giving it away to charity, good luck with that. You know how Thomas is. He won't take it back. No way...no how."

"True, but he gave Higgins way more money, and an immovable object is about to meet an irresistible force because, on the way back here, she was going on and on about how she wasn't going to let Thomas give away his entire proceedings from his mother's estate," Theodore replied. "The lady is not happy...I explained about TM's whole 'making everyone whole' thing. She sort of went ballistic. She agrees with me, and I am sure you, that Thomas does not get to exit stage left, just because his mom's estate got settled."

"Hell, no, he doesn't. Heaven can bloody well wait!" Wright agreed.

"Hell, yeah, heaven can wait. We need that boy here." TC nodded - the Marine component of the remaining team was in full agreement and united in purpose. And the two men knew that combined with Higgins, the three of them would be a formidable force to keep one Thomas Sullivan Magnum the Fourth safe on THIS shore, not the other side of the River Jordan - no matter what it took!

***(*(*)*)***

**A/N:**

Today, the 18th of March...my hubby and I drove over to the Hwy 50 side of Sacramento to drive up to Placerville in Gold Country here in Northern California. The weather was predicted to be 'sunny and fine with temps in the Mid-70's' so we decided to drive up to Placerville and from Placerville (aka Old Hangtown) and from there to Coloma where, in 1849, Gold was discovered in the mill-trace of Sutter's Mill. Hence started the westward mass migration known as the California Gold Rush which called many from all over the world to the 'Goldfields' of Northern California. We started the day by wandering about Placerville while Randy (my hubby) videotaped the Gold Rush town of Placerville...and we both realized, while we often go to the Gold Rush town of Auburn (which is on I-80 on our side of Sacramento), we had never just walked around Placerville...either one of us. That is really something, when you consider that Randy was born and raised on the Hangtown side of Sacramento (South Sac) and we used to go up to Lake Tahoe by way of Placerville all the freaking time - saw the Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John, Glen Campbell, Mac Davis, John Denver who used to put on a ski tournament up there every winter, David Copperfield...so many big stars up at Harrah's Tahoe (a Casino). Randy's mom and Dad were big gamblers so we would often on impulse go up even on Christmas Eve to see a show and spend the night. Going to Coloma (Gold Discovery site) is kind of a springtime tradition for us, once the hardest rains and freezes have passed (well, really, once the sun shines long enough and warm enough to justify shirtsleeves) we head up that way. Today it is going to meet or surpass 75, so that is definitely shirtsleeve weather! It truly was a beautiful day, but I think I bloody well sunburned my face. Ouch! I mean to write tonight, but we'll see how well I do if my face is going to keep hurting as much as it is right now. Yeaow!

A/N: 3/19/2019 Well, today was a decent day, but not as lovely and spring-like as yesterday when we traveled all over Gold Country. Tomorrow, the first day of spring, it is supposed to rain off and on. I hope all is well where each of you is and that you enjoy this long overdue addition to our tale. More soon!


	13. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 13

Just A Simple Exchange

***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 13  
***(*(*)*)***

The Thousandth Man

***(*(*)*)***

Rick and TC continued to discuss the situation as they disposed of the detritus from their meal. By the time, they had arrived back to the room..they had the fundamentals of a plan for dealing with their concerns about their friend's mental attitude. As they entered the room, Higgins rose from where she was sitting on the far side of the bed, holding Magnum's hand down.

Rick frowned. "Hey, is he trying to hit himself again?"

"Well, I wouldn't go quite that far. He has been restless, in spite of the medication he's had, and every now and then his hand starts suddenly going up towards his face. He doesn't need to add to his contusions, so I've just been trying to keep his arm down on the pillow."

"You got that right, sister," Wright replied. "I know what you mean...I've been fighting the same fight. He's not exactly with it, so we can't put it on him, but still...ya gotta keep an eagle eye on this guy, or the man will do himself another injury."

Juliet nodded. "So I've noticed."

"Higgins, could I talk to you outside for just a moment?" TC asked. He'd volunteered to bring her up to date on their thoughts of allowing TM to wake enough so they could talk to him. The British woman nodded as Rick came around her side of the bed to relieve her on Magnum Watch.

The two had barely cleared the door when TC began explaining to her. "Just wanted to bring you up to date on what Rick and I discussed while we were eating. He updated me on some stuff that happened while we were gone. Thomas 'saw' Nuzo and admitted to Rick that he wanted to go with him, but said Nuzo wouldn't let him."

"What, did he code again?"

"No, but poor Rick got the heebie-jeebies when TM said that."

"Well, of course, understandably, in light of the fact that Thomas is still in critical condition and in critical care, it is concerning if he's seeing dead friends and admitting to wanting to go with him. That is clearly not a good thing, but, from what I've seen and understood he was very close to Sebastian Nuzo, even closer than he is to you and Rick. So I can understand the temptation and the desire to be with him, can't you?"

"Doesn't mean I am ready to let him go," TC said fervently.

"Nor I, Theodore and we shall do everything we can to keep that from happening, but..."

TC went on with his thought train, slightly distracted by it. "He always told me that he loved me and Rick, but Nuzo was his "Thousandth Man"."

Juliet froze, her eyes widening and her expression becoming very distressed. "What? He said what?"

"I never got the reference. I assume it's a reference, but he always said that he loved me and Rick, but Nuzo was his 'Thousandth Man'."

"Oh,...oh, my. That's not good...to lose that. The level of despair he must have felt when Nuzo died. I never understood just how deep the loss was. Oh, my."

Making an impatient gesture that seemed to ask the woman to give him something, TC spoke up. "It sounds like you get the reference. Could you explain it to me?"

"I'll try. Now I'm making a few assumptions here, but I tend to think that at some time in his education, Thomas received a more classical education than most Americans do these days. I believe him calling Nuzo his 'Thousandth Man' is a reference to a poem by Rudyard Kipling."

"Oh, Thomas loves Kipling all right. He considers him a man's man who wrote poetry that cuts right to the heart of the matter. He wrote papers on him more than once during his education. Matter of fact, in the camps, he had a nickname for Rick - he called him 'Rikki Tiki Tavi'."

Juliet gave a sparkling laugh. "Oh, I can see that. Well, Rick isn't that much smaller than Thomas, but the brave little mongoose does sort of fit Rick's personality." She tilted her head as if picturing something and smiled. "It really does fit Rick. I shall have to compartmentalize that thought or I will accidentally call him Rikki one of these times."

"Yeah...he accepts the nickname from Magnum, not sure how he'd react to it from you, Jules. He says it sounds too babyish."

"Did Thomas explain the derivation to you both?"

"Ummm. Something about a book his Mom and Dad used to read to him when he was a kid? From the Jungle Book, I think."

"Indeed...I'll bring you a copy once Magnum is out of danger. Rick might even grow to like the nickname by the time we're done!"

"Okay, back to the Thousandth Man...can you explain it to me?"

"Actually, hold on just a quick mo!" Higgins walked over to the nurse's station and spoke with Nurse Hong who was nodding vigorously in response. The majordomo came back over to TC. "In just a few moments, I think I will be able to accommodate you. I used to know it by heart, but I am afraid those days are gone. One too many concussions myself, I'm afraid."

Calvin smiled at her comment. "Well, anyway, in the meantime, Rick and I want to try and let Thomas surface so we can talk to him while he's conscious and rational about this wanting to leave us thing."

"Is that a good idea at this point in his recovery? Being in pain will not be conducive to his healing process."

TC immediately shook his head vigorously. "Oh, we won't let him really be in pain, Higgy. We'd never do that. Just let him get his head above the waves enough that we can talk to him a bit. Okay?"

"Do you want me to leave the room while you do so?"

"Naw, we figured you'd want in on it. Don't you?"

Juliet smiled at how accommodating the gents were being about incorporating her as one of the group. She truly felt a part of this unique little family now and found to her surprise that she really liked that feeling. She hadn't been part of a family for a long while now. It felt frightfully good to be part of such a unit now. "I would appreciate that, Theodore."

"Done deal, little sister," Calvin replied.

"Okay, big bro." She smiled at him. This, this was a good thing - a united front.

Nurse Hong came over with a sheet of paper printed out from a computer printer and simply gave it to Higgins and smiled at the two of them. "Here you go, Miss Higgins. Hope this helps you clarify things."

"Thank you, Nurse Hong."

The woman gave them a brilliant smile. "To help those young men in there, anything within my power, I will do. I am officially in love with the relationship you all have with each other. I've never seen a group of humans with a more unified and symbiotic relationship in all my years of nursing. Your young man, Thomas, must be very special to have such friends."

TC nodded vigorously. "He is...a bit trying at times, but very, very special."

"And so are you!" Nurse Hong said, turning to return to the Nursing Station.

TC looked at Higgins and mouthed, 'Which - trying? Or Special?' which made Higgins have to struggle not to laugh out loud.

Higgins silently handed him the print out which turned out to be the poem, The Thousandth Man, to read.

**The Thousandth Man**

**By Rudyard Kipling**

One man in a thousand, Solomon says,  
Will stick more close than a brother.  
And it's worth while seeking him half your days  
If you find him before the other.  
Nine hundred and ninety-nine depend  
On what the world sees in you,  
But the Thousandth Man will stand your friend  
With the whole round world agin you.

'Tis neither promise nor prayer nor show  
Will settle the finding for 'ee.  
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em go  
By your looks or your acts or your glory.  
But if he finds you and you find him,  
The rest of the world don't matter;  
For the Thousandth Man will sink or swim  
With you in any water.

You can use his purse with no more talk  
Than he uses yours for his spendings,  
And laugh and meet in your daily walk  
As though there had been no lendings.  
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em call  
For silver and gold in their dealings;  
But the Thousandth Man he's worth 'em all,

Because you can show him your feelings.

His wrong's your wrong, and his right's your right,  
In season or out of season.  
Stand up and back it in all men's sight—  
With that for your only reason!  
Nine hundred and ninety-nine can't bide  
The shame or mocking or laughter,  
But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side  
To the gallows-foot—and after!

The woman watched as Calvin's eyes moved back and forth over the lines. She saw the moment it hit him, what Thomas truly felt he had lost. The powerful man's eyes filled with unshed tears and he looked up to meet her eyes. "Oh, God. I get it now. Boy, do I get it! I don't know if I can honestly say I have ever had a Thousandth Man, but if THAT is what Tommy thinks he lost when he lost Nuzo. God, it's a wonder he hasn't committed hari-kari already. How—Jules, how do Rick and I overcome that kind of a loss?"

Higgins smiled at him and laid her hand comfortingly on the upper one of his crossed arms. "Don't you think you already have, TC? In spite of everything, Hannah reappearing, shooting him and wreaking havoc in all your lives again…in spite of Robin misusing their friendship and getting him hurt so badly, he's still in there, Theodore, and he is still fighting. A moment of weakness where he sees Nuzo and begs to go with him means nothing, relative to the pull to remain here that the two of you have on him. Hold fast to that fact, TC. It means everything."

"More than the 'check out money'?" TC questioned.

"Again, still here – still fighting. It's not easy for him, but he hasn't just let go, has he? This is one time where his stubbornness is actually working for you and not against you. Besides, TC, until you talk, can you really be absolutely certain that is what the money is meant to be? I just wonder. Remember how he reacted when his client HE felt overpaid him for his services. He gave the money away to charity. I don't think Thomas would keep the money if he won the bloody lottery. He'd give almost all the money away, wouldn't he?"

TC actually chuckled. "You got that right, little sister. Still, have to talk to him about that money, but I see what you are saying and you just might have a point."

"I guess we will know soon. I'll send Rick out to speak with you for a moment so you can bring him up to speed, shall I?"

TC nodded vigorously and again looked down at the poem in his hands, as she went into the room.

***(*(*)*)***

A/N: I love the poems of Rudyard Kipling - especially THE THOUSANDTH MAN and IF. I actually have always tried to live my life, based to a degree on them...even though I am a woman. You don't have (in my humble opinion) to be a man to appreciate that level of friendship or what IF means. That's my story and I am sticking to it! Hope this hasn't been too boring for those of you who just don't care for poetry!


	14. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 14 Just a Big

Just A Simple Exchange

***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 14

***(*(*)*)***

Just One Big Misunderstanding?

***(*(*)*)*  
**

Rick came back out. "T? Higgy said you wanted to talk to me?"

Instead of answering, TC handed him the sheet of paper with the poem on it. "I thought you might want to finally understand what The Thousandth Man thing TM has about Nuzo is all about?"

Interested, Rick looked up at him. "How'd you find out?"

"Higgins got it right away. Read this, Rick. I think you'll get it Wright away, too."

Rick looked at his friend a bit askance, but accepted the paper and began reading it. He actually read it twice before he looked up and simply said. "Oh, crap."

"I know how you feel, buddy, but when I said much the same thing, Higgy had something interesting to say."

"What's that? How do we talk Thomas into staying here if this is what he lost in Nuzo, T?"

"Higgins thinks we already have...She said, "Don't you think you already have? In spite of everything, Hannah reappearing, shooting him and wreaking havoc in your lives again...in spite of Robin misusing their friendship, and getting him hurt so badly, he's still in there, and he is still fighting. A moment of weakness where he sees Nuzo and begs to go with him means nothing, relative to the pull to remain here that the two of you have on him. Hold fast to that fact, TC. It means everything."

"But the money, TC, what about the money?"

"I don't know yet, Rick, but I think Higgy may be on to something there, as well. She pointed out that this is the one time where his stubbornness is actually working for us and not against us. She pointed out that until we talk to him we can't be absolutely certain that is what the money is meant to be...we are sort of assuming it is check out money. What if it isn't, Rick? What if the money is just to pay us up to date and give him some breathing room for the next time? I mean that is possible, isn't it?"

Wright tilted his head and contemplated that a moment. "You know. Maybe? I'm not sold on the idea, yet; but let's talk to our boy. Time for him to wakey-wakey, eh?"

"Rikki," Theodore chuckled.

"Only Thomas gets to call me that, TC." Rick Wright growled out. "Stupid baby name..."

"Which is exactly how Thomas feels about us calling him Tommy, but we both do it, Rick."

Rick nodded. "True...yeah, I guess that's true. But only really rarely, Theodore, okay?"

"Okay, Tikki Tavi."

Rick just rolled his eyes and they went into the room.

***(*(*)*)***

About half an hour later, Magnum slowly opened his eyes and startled slightly finding TC, Rick and Higgins all staring at him. "Hi, guys," He said weakly. This felt really weird. "Did I do something wrong?"

TC just shook his head at him and chuckled. "Did you do something wrong? Oh, hell, no, Tommy boy...just almost got yourself killed again, courtesy of Robin Masters. Oh and way overpaid me all of a sudden. What the hell, Thomas? Forty G's plus?"

"I figured you could keep the extra on account because you know otherwise I'll just wind up owing you again before we know it."

"And is that all it means?" Theodore questioned.

"What else would it mean, TC?"

"Making us whole money?" Rick volunteered.

"Huh?" Thomas honestly looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember?" Theodore frowned at him. "You said that if you knew the end was coming, you'd find a way to make us all whole before you checked out."

"Oh, that." Magnum shook his head and from the expression that immediately came across his face, he regretted it. "Ow, that hurt." He saw Rick's hand inch towards the PCA button and pleaded. "No, Rick, please. I'm okay. I just won't shake my head again. Please?"

Wright relented. "Tell me if it gets to be too much."

"If I've had too much of anything, it's the damn medication," the private investigator groused... "The last thing I need is to get addicted."

"Oh, come on, T. You know damn well we would never let that happen to you, boy!" Calvin rebuked him. "Now back to the money, are you for real that's all it meant was?"

"Yes, Theodore, I'm for real. It wasn't...what did you call it that time? Check out money...this isn't a hotel and I have no plans to check out of anything, okay?"

"Uh, Nuzo earlier ring any bells, Thomas?" Rick queried.

"Well, yeah, I wanted to go with him, but I told you he wouldn't let me." Magnum sounded like a petulant child. "He said it wasn't 'my time' yet. That I still have things to do here and you two need me. And I had promised him I'd take care of Lara and Jake." He sighed heavily, "All of which is true, but..."

"Nope. No buts, Thomas. We are with Sebastian on this one, Thomas. You are needed here. We love you, bro - not your money, not what you can do for us; not what you do for others. I'm sorry I always bug you about the gas money, man."

Calvin was just warming up when Thomas broke in. "No, don't be. I want you to be who you are with me, Theodore. Don't ever be anything but your honest self, dude. I just..."

Higgins spoke up...ready to take her turn now. "Thomas Sullivan Magnum, why did you pay me for the full value of TWO Ferrari's when you paid to repair one of them and made good on the balance you owed me from the bounced check. That is way over."

He waved his good hand slightly. "Look, I don't plan on destroying anything, Higgins, but the odds are that something may go wrong on one of my cases and damage will happen. So keep it on account."

Juliet shook her head. "On account? I suppose we could do that, but Robin is going to be very confused when he gets the statement, and I may get read the riot act because I told you he refused to hold you to account for the destroyed Ferrari. I mean the man actually said, "Higgins, it is only a car. People are far more valuable than things, especially a person like Thomas." She frowned. "Also, I don't want you throwing away all of your inheritance from your mother's estate, Magnum."

Thomas frowned and immediately winced because the movement of his face hurt the bruises, but held up his hand towards Rick and the PCA button in a quelling motion. "What in the hell are you talking about, Higgy? The money doesn't have anything to do with my mom's estate. I'm still going around in circles with the probate court and lawyers over that - thanks to Frank!"

"It's not from settling your mom's estate?" Calvin questioned.

"Nope. It's from my trust fund, T."

"Your trust fund? You are a trust fund baby?" Higgins questioned.

"Yes, Higgins, my grandfather set up a trust the day I was born, so I guess that literally makes me a trust fund baby. I get periodic disbursements. It's old family money. My ancestors invented a bunch of things used by the Navy and other maritime organizations and the fund consists of the payouts from the patents still held by our family trust. I don't get all of it. I have cousins and stuff that also get dispersals. The Magnums' have some money. We aren't Robin Masters' rich, but we have some. Frank couldn't screw with that because there was no way he could get his hands on it as he was in no way a Magnum. How he managed to mess up the trust set up on my grandparent's homestead and sell it out from under me, I still don't understand?" He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his good hand. "Rick, could you hit me lightly, please? I don't want to get totally zonked out, because I clearly have things I need to explain to you guys, but it always gives me a headache thinking about this stuff."

Rick smiled at his friend. "Good boy, Thomas...actually admitting you need a little help. That's a good thing." He depressed the button briefly. "Let me know if that was enough when it..."

"Whoa," Thomas muttered. "May have been too much, bud. The room's going all wonky."

"That's okay, Thomas. You need to sleep...you sleep. Your recovery is what matters here."

"Not if you think I'm trying to take a powder on you, Theodore. That wasn't it at all. I just never know when the next dispersal of funds is going to be, so I like to take care of bills when I have it. You know I'm not in the PI work to get rich, for Pete's sake."

"Yes, I would say that has become abundantly clear to everyone who knows you, Magnum," Higgins remarked acerbically.

Thomas just smiled at the woman and shrugged his shoulders. "I just admitted it, Jules."

The woman smiled back. "And as I have gotten to know you, I realize there is nothing whatsoever wrong with that. Your motivation to do what you do is rather altruistic, in fact."

Thomas blushed a little. "Gee, Higgy, that was almost a compliment."

"It was intended as one, Magnum. You are a good person, even if at times I think you let yourself get taken advantage of a bit too much."

"Thanks, I think." Magnum sighed. "Rick, what are the rules on this thing?"

"Why?" Wright frowned standing and carefully regarding his face. "Oh, you're really hurting, aren't you?" He took the button in hand and pressed it down and held it much longer this time. "Nighty, night, buddy." He looked at TC and Higgins. "He needs to rest now, guys."

"I got what I need," TC admitted. "I feel much better about things. You, Orville?"

"Thomas is more important than anything else, T. I'm good."

In a weary voice, Magnum sighed, his words slurring slightly. "Thanks, you guys, Higgins...you are the best. How did I get so lucky to have 3 thousandth mans, or is that men? Yeah, should be men...and a thousandth lady?" And he was gone, softly sighing as he breathed in an almost snoring sigh in exhaustion from battles fought and won.

Rick and TC stared at each other, stunned, startled, and relieved to realize that Magnum had just indicated he equally considered them and even Higgins as, as valued to him as Nuzo had been. They had NOT expected to hear that.

A/N: Hope that made up for not getting a new chapter for a while there. I write where my muse takes me. I'm pretty tired now, though, so I think this is good night. We had rain off and on today and are expecting the same all the way through next week. We actually had thunder, lightning and hail today...something that doesn't happen very often in Northern California...but it is spring. Our poor kitty was so confused by the awful sound of the hail hitting our metal roof on our mobile home.


	15. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 15

Just A Simple Exchange  
***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 15  
***(*(*)*)***

Getting to Know You  
***(*(*)*)***

Rick smiled at the resting PI. "I think he's pretty well out for a while, guys. What do you think...was he being totally honest?"

"I think so. All his info tracks with stuff we already know. At some point, he must have legally changed the name on his trust fund from The TM Foundation to the White Knight Foundation." TC looked much more relaxed. "Oh, just so you know, Higgins, the money isn't just old family money. Thomas holds several patents himself. He's still working on some inventions."

Rick grinned and said. "Yeah, he hasn't completed Frog Tape to his satisfaction."

"Frog tape?"

"I'm not an investor, I'm a modifier..." Thomas mumbled.

"God, do you ever go completely out on this stuff, Tommy?" Rick asked affectionately.

"I just don't stray out that long. God, can't talk on it through."

Calvin chuckled, "Yeah, we noticed. Now, go to sleep."

Magnum yawned. "I can't with you giving away my secrets."

"She's family, Thomas. I think she's earned the right. Never could understand why you want to hide your light under a bushel anyway." Rick retorted.

"Oh, channeling my mother much, Rikki Tikki Tavi."

"I thought I was quoting Father Murphy, Tommy."

"Same difference...sometimes I think he's channeling her, too."

"Don't believe all the lies they'll tell you about me, Jules. I'm not brilliant, I'm not smart...I just get lucky sometimes."

Rick was mouthing, "Unduly modest, much?" looking over at TC and Higgins. Higgins turned her eyes on TC with a question on her face.

TC felt obligated to explain, but quietly, so he leaned towards her and whispered. "Thomas likes to say he's not an inventor, but he does hold multiple patents. He also has modified existing inventions to work much better. He's developing artificial gills."

"What? My government would kill to get someone to actually develop that technology."

"Which is what he's afraid of. He isn't sure if he trusts it to the military-industrial complex to properly distribute them to only the good guys if you get my drift."

"I do indeed. He's that good?"

"Like I said, he's not satisfied yet with the full safety of the prototype he's got so far. He has released a very limited version for testing...but he put in things that ensure they can't reverse engineer them."

"Impressive, but very wise of him."

"Tommy's not the easy-going beach bum he appears at first, is he?" TC's voice had gotten a bit louder over the course of the conversation apparently because a very sleepy PI said. "Sure I am!"

Rick snorted in derision. "Yeah and if you believe that I've got some cheap beachfront property in Malibu, I can let you have for a song."

"Who'd want to live in Malibu, dude, the taxes will kill you and the liberal politics of the state will make it so you can't even afford to be buried?" TC replied.

Higgins looked fondly at the mostly out-of-it PI. "There is indeed more than meets the eyes to what he is...isn't there?"

"I'm not a transformer." Magnum sighed softly.

Higgins looked her question at TC. "Movies and TV cartoon series, Higgy." He replied. "We have to bring you up to date on your pop culture."

"You boys watch things that just aren't my cup of tea."

"Yea, but you don't even like tea, either, Higgins. You have to give new things a try, sometimes."

The blonde former agent smiled. "Alright, perhaps you can show me when he's home."

TC smiled back. "Sounds like a plan!"

***(*(*)*)***

Rick walked over and checked Magnum's IV. "It's getting low. Think I should get Nurse Hong?"

As if the question had summoned her, the door opened and the Nurse came in with a new bag of IV fluids. "Hi, Nurse Hong. Umm, Thomas feels a little warm to me."

"Well, let's just see about that, shall we?" The nurse checked his temperature and frowned. "Yes, it's up some. I'll call his doctor after I hang his new IV. The question is if it is an infection or an adverse reaction to the blood transfusions. We'll have to run some tests probably."

TC advised the friendly woman, "Our immune systems are compromised thanks to the Taliban, so the odds are rather good it's an infection."

"Still going to need to test and see exactly what is going on."

TC nodded, "I understand that Nurse, just thought you should know."

"Thank you, TC." The nurse hung the new IV. She puttered around, checking Magnum's Foley and noting it was still draining, but the urine production was down...or "Rick, you haven't emptied his Foley bag, have you?"

The club manager frowned at the question. "No, Ma'am. What's up?"

"It's not what is up, young man...it is what appears to be down. He's not outputting as much urine."

Rick leaned over and checked the catheter tubing. "It's draining okay, so it's not that it needs to be irrigated again." The nurse made a note on her tablet. She sighed. "The chest tube is still draining too, so hopefully, he can get some rest."

"Thank you, Nurse Hong." Thomas managed to get out.

"Sleep, Thomas," Kelana ordered.

"I'm getting nauseous again," Magnum replied.

Rick reached over to hit the PCA, but Hong stopped him. "I think he needs his breakthrough meds this time, Rick. I'll be right back with it." Orville nodded and got a basin off the table top to put by Magnum's cheek.

"Thanks, Rick."

"Make a noise or something if you need me to move your mask, buddy."

Thomas made a noise of assent. His eyelashes fluttered, but he couldn't quite open his eyes. He sighed and began breathing slowly, in through the nose and out through the mouth, trying to calm the nausea. Rick rubbed his upper arm comfortingly. "Hang in there, buddy. She'll be right back."

True to Rick's assurance, Nurse Hong returned quickly with the hypodermics of medication which she quickly dispensed into the port of his IV. She gently patted Magnum's back. "Now, you relax and let those meds help you to get some rest, Thomas. You really need to rest, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am, Nurse Kelana." Magnum murmured in response, trying to comply as the meds sped into his system, easing the nausea and pain and allowing him to drift off into Morpheus arms.

***(*(*)*)*  
A/N: **Sorry, this one is so short, but it just feels like the right place to end it, so such it is.


	16. Just A Simple Exchange Chapter 16

Just A Simple Exchange  
***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 16  
***(*(*)*)***

After only 40 minutes of rest, Thomas' eyes were moving rapidly under his eyelids. Rick frowned...with the breakthrough meds on board, he had hoped Magnum could get more rest, but apparently, that wasn't to be. Suddenly Thomas spoke, and it wasn't English. "Nachair, nachair, nachair."

Rick swore. "Damn, Dari. He's in the camps."

"Even I know that is no..." TC remarked. "No to what?"

"I don't know, but he's in pain."

"This soon?"

A string of words that weren't even clear enough to translate if they spoke the language that poured out of Magnum's mouth. Higgins shook her head. "I can't follow all of it, but he's pleading ...roughly, 'not this again. Please no...I can't do this again..."

Suddenly, Magnum surged into a sitting position before anyone could prevent it and flat out screamed from the pain. TC and Rick scrambled to prevent him from moving any further. TC clambered up on the bed, dropping the side rail hastily, and sitting behind Thomas, he gently pulled Thomas back against his broad chest, restraining him by holding him in place, by slipping his arms through the man's arms and keeping him close, speaking softly, reassuringly in TM's ear.

Scared by the way Magnum had jackknifed up and the blare of the alarms, Rick snapped at Higgins. "Jules, get Nurse Hong, NOW!"

Higgins ran out of the room and returned shortly with the nurse behind her. "What in the hell?"

The older woman snapped. "Mr. Calvin, what are you doing? I was on my way in as all the alarms are going off."

"Thomas suddenly jackknifed up," TC explained tersely. "I climbed up here and got behind him to keep him upright, but restrained before he does any more damage than he just might have done."

The nurse nodded. "I see. What seems to be the problem?"

Magnum was muttering softly in Dari, alternately telling TC. "I can't do this again, T. Not again."

The nurse worriedly remarked. "That isn't English, but then it is...where and when is he?"

TC replied, still terse. "In the camps, we're back in the POW camps...the pain he's in must be reminding him of something from there."

Nurse Hong frowned. "Any idea what?"

Rick had been checking his chest tube to make sure it hadn't been pulled out. His worried eyes noticed something. "Oh, crap...I know what he's reliving, T. After he was beaten that one time, remember his kidneys were starting to shut down...I think it's happening again. Nurse Hong, there are a lot of clots in his catheter."

"I'll go get the cart and irrigate, but the call is already out to his nephrologist because his latest labs indicated early kidney failure."

Rick closed his eyes, lowered his head and shook it 'no' silently, tears dripping from his eyes.

Hong spoke a bit sharply. "Don't give up so quickly, young man. At this stage, it is entirely reversible."

"I ain't giving up, Nurse Kelana. It's just we went through this before in the camps. This is going to be so rough on him. Are you cutting back on his fluids?"

She gently remonstrated him. "I am not doing anything, Richard, other than irrigating his Foley and monitoring him until the nephrologist arrives. That's all I can do. Orders are needed for anything else."

Sighing, Rick replied. "Roger that, Nurse Hong...but, please. My name is Rick...not Richard."

Higgins offered. "His birth name is Orville, but he prefers Rick."

Rick shot the majordomo a mildly dirty look... "Oh, thanks for sharing that, Higgy."

"I was merely trying to clarify things," Juliet responded easily. "I'd rather not hear my love's name bandied about, myself, Rick."

Instantly repentant, he replied. "Oh, God, Jules, I'm sorry. I didn't think about that."

Higgins smiled at him, nodding towards Magnum. "Understandable, under the circumstances, Rick." Magnum was softly, too softly to be heard and understood, muttering Dari again.

"We got to center him, Rick. Want to try 'It's Alright'?

"Sure...you lead off and I'll join in."

"Start the line, Rick."

Bow..bow...bow... Rick began to lay down the bass line.  
" They say it's alright  
They say it's alright  
It's alright, have a good time  
'Cause it's alright, whoa it's alright

Now we gonna move it slow  
When the lights are low  
When you move it slow  
It feels like more  
Cause it's alright  
Whoa it's alright

Now listen to the beat  
Kinda' tap your feet  
You got soul  
Everybody knows that it's alright  
Whoa it's alright

When you wake up early in the morning  
Feeling sad like so many of us do  
Hold a little soul  
And make life your goal  
And surely something's gotta come to you

And you gotta say it's alright  
Say it's alright  
It's alright, have a good time  
Cause it's alright  
Whoa it's alright

Someday I'll find me a woman  
Who will love me and treat me real nice  
Where my road has got to go  
My love she will know from morning, noon  
Until the night

And she's gotta say that it's alright  
Say it's alright  
It's alright, have a good time  
Cause it's alright  
Whoa it's alright  
Now listen to the beat  
Kinda' tap your feet  
You got soul  
Everybody knows that it's alright  
Whoa it's alright  
You got soul  
Everybody knows that it's alright  
Whoa it's alright"

Higgins and Nurse Hong were both amazed when Thomas immediately began snapping his fingers and harmonizing with TC as he sang the words. The tension bled out of the injured man's shoulders as he relaxed back against Calvin...totally intent on the song, the pain relaxing from his face. He even began to sway ever so slightly and TC moved with him, gently side to side.

"Music, soothes the savage beast?" Higgins queried.

"It centers him. Lets him know he's with us, not in the hole and that the bad guys won't hurt him more, now." Rick explained. "That and poetry recited by TC were our go-to's when we were in the camps to keep him centered and with us, when he was in pain and out of it, focused, you know?"

Nurse Hong smiled. "You all should take that act on the road. You are good; you sounded really good."

Rick smiled. "Not the first time that has been suggested to us, I can assure you. When Thomas is healthy, it sounds even better. He's the leader usually. We do this 'celebration of life' thing together every now and then…it's been a long time now…since we lost Nuzo, we haven't done one, but if we ever do, we'll invite you, Nurse Hong…you too Higgy."

Higgins responded, "I'll bloody well be there, as I assume it will be at the Nest."

"Actually, the last time we did it was at the club on a Sunday."

"No need for that, you are welcome to use the Nest, it's certainly a big enough venue. Just give me some warning leading up to it, all right?"

***(*(*)*)***

**A/N: So a bumpy ride, but we are making progress in the story. By the way, if you wonder about using a song for pain relief when I did nursing back in the 70's we did this...it worked. Unconscious, semi-conscious, delirious...it worked with all the patients we tried it on. Soon, we were taking requests and singing while we changed the linens, while we gave the patients sponge baths, men patients when we cleaned around their catheters...uh, if you need that explained...no, let's not go there. I may demonstrate in the story (poor Thomas). Hope you all enjoyed this chappy!**


	17. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 17

JUST A SIMPLE EXCHANGE  
***(*(*)*)***

**Ch. 17**

Magnum slowly opened his good eye, looked around and then up and back until he was looking up straight into TC's eyes and he sighed, heavily. "How much damage did I do this time, TC?"

TC smiled down at him and shook his head. "Oh, relax, Thomas...outside of maybe to yourself again, you didn't do any. I've got you, buddy. It's okay."

Thomas smiled slightly, seeming to relax a fraction. "Did we just sing, 'It's alright'?" He queried, looking for clarity.

Rick smiled at him from the end of his bed, "Yep!" popping the 'p' in the word. "You did pretty good for as much pain as you were in."

"You know music isn't really one of my gifts."

"So you always say, but we don't agree, my friend." Calvin gently advised him.

"Which version?" Magnum asked... "I was kind of out of it."

"Our cross between Huey Lewis version and the Curtis Mayfield version."

"Oh, I like that arrangement."

Rick chortled. "You should, you arranged it."

Magnum snorted. "Heavily borrowing from both Mayfield and Huey Lewis...hardly original."

"You still did the work, boy." TC retorted.

Magnum smiled up at his friend. "Whatever, Calvin."

"Yeah, whatevs, Tommy."

Magnum mimed blowing him a kiss.

TC just chuckled.

"Any chance you could push your fists into my back for a few, T?" Thomas asked.

"Kidneys are hurting, aren't they?" Calvin asked softly.

"Um-hmm. You know the pressure helps some."

"I think you should hold off on that until Nurse Kelana comes back and irrigates your Foley, Tommy," Rick advised, gently.

Magnum flat out whined. "If I must..."

"You know Rick's right." TC counseled.

"Probably, but it hurts. And, yea, Wright is Rick's name." TM smirked.

"Brat..." Rick quirked at him.

"Jarhead..."

"Well," TC retorted, "we may be bulldogs, but you are as stubborn as one."

"Good one, T," Magnum responded.

"Hey, if the shoe fits..." Rick inserted.

"I don't have no shoes on..."

"Any shoes, Magnum...sometimes you have terrible grammar," Higgins remarked.

"I don't have a grandma any more either..."

"The meds are interfering with your thought patterns, there, Thomas."

"God, I'm so tired..." Magnum stated.

"Try and sleep some, buddy."

"Can't. It hurts too much...and it's too soon for pain meds."

Ignoring his friend's remark, Rick sidled up to the PCA and hit the button. Thomas gave him a betrayed look. "Hey, it may help...and it won't dispense unless it's okay, buddy."

Magnum's eyes slid to half mast, but he couldn't settle back into meaningful rest.

***(*(*)*)***

The door opened and Nurse Hong wheeled the cart in. She managed to get it past Higgins with no problem. Rick moved up closer to the head of the bed in case TC needed his help to keep Thomas safely restrained. The nurse noted this action but made no comment. Magnum's eyes opened and he looked at the nurse. "Here to irrigate it?" He asked.

Nurse Kelana nodded, "Afraid so, Thomas..."

"That's fine;" he said wearily, "Could TC put his fists against my kidneys in the back, please...the pressure can help the pain a bit. Is that okay?"

The nurse frowned. "Gentle pressure only, Thomas...not too much. Your kidneys have been swollen and we don't want them to rupture, but a bit of pressure...that's okay. Alright?"

TC nodded. "Thank you, Nurse...any help is appreciated."

Thomas agreed, soulfully. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

"I know how that can be, Magnum," the nurse advised. "I've had kidney stones in the past."

"Thanks, Nurse Kelana...I appreciate your understanding."

The nurse smiled at him and began the irrigation process. What came out of his bladder after the irrigation looked like pure blood with only the slightest brown tingeing to it to indicate urine was mixed in. Rick frowned balefully at the sight. It wasn't a good sign. The nurse drew a sample from the tubing and put it in a lab bottle. She then reconnected the tubing to the drain tube heading to the Foley drainage bag and frowned as the fluid trickled down. There was nowhere near enough fluid for the amount of input from Magnum's IV's. Her eyes met Ricks and silent communication was exchanged that showed both of them knew it. The nurse wheeled the cart out of the room, sadly.

Thomas had managed to pick up on the exchange and he remarked. "Oh, get that frown off your face, Orville. It is what it is. Just another day in the world, my friend. It is what it is."

Rick smiled at Magnum. "You are still too easy-going by half, Thomas. All this shit and all you have to say is: 'It is what it is.' "

"Because it is, Orville. Whining and crying about it won't change a damn thing. And no, I'm not accusing you of whining or crying, Rick. I'm just sharing my approach to things, for what it is worth...and I know that ain't much."

"Like hell, it isn't, TM. I like when you get all philosophizing on me." TC chuckled warmly. "And your approach to things is as good as any other. I know it is tough riding this out, my friend, but we don't want you trying the alternative...which is just letting go. As hard as it is, we need you to stay here with us, little brother, so just keep on keeping on."

Thomas again raised his chin to look up into Theodore's eye...as he could really only meet one eye at a time just now. The swelling on his face was receding some, but his bad eye was not yet able to open and he doubted he could see out it if it did. He asked softly. "Hey, big brother...do you do requests?"

"What do you need, Thomas?"

"Do IF for me, buddy. Please..."

That drew a fond smile from the black man's lips. "No problem, Tommy...just close your eyes for me and try to relax into me, okay?" His deep voice began to make his chest rumble in the way Magnum just loved to feel as he rested against him.

TC began to recite the poem.

**If—**

BY RUDYARD KIPLING

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!

Thomas' lips curled in a soft smile. "Thanks, TC. Words to live by, friend."

Theodore smiled down at his friend, tolerantly. "They are indeed, Thomas…and you do a pretty damn good job of living them. I'm proud of you…and I am sure, your father is too."

"I hope so, T. I really do…" A single tear slid down Magnum's face. "It's hard to measure up to an idealized memory of the man you adored, you know?"

"Well, that may be, Thomas, but you do a fine job of it. And I mean that, sincerely." Higgins spoke up again.

One eye slid open. "Careful, Higgy. That sounded suspiciously like a compliment again. I think you have exceeded your quota."

Higgins stuck her tongue out at him.

Quoting her own words back to her, Magnum snarked. "Oh, really mature, Jules!"

Higgins laughed.

***(*(*)*)***

**A/N: So, happy, my friends? I'm going to go work on 'Beyond the Sea', now.**


	18. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 18

Just A Simple Exchange  
***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 18  
***(*(*)*)***

About 20 minutes later, Thomas was starting to twist a bit against TC who was leaning against the wall. "Whoa, whoa, there! Tomas, what's up?"

Magnum, forgetting his head was against Theodore, tossed his head slightly. "It really hurts, Theodore. Oh, God...choke me out, please. I can't." The distress he was in was obvious.

Rick immediately pressed the button on the PCA again, but this time it didn't seem to help at all.

Higgins was heading for the door when it opened and Nurse Hong came in followed by a dapper little gentleman in a white coat, who hesitated at the door, seeing the unusual way his patient was being held and restrained. However, after a brief pause of observation, he entered the room fully, speaking up. "Hello, gentleman, Ms. Higgins?" When Jules nodded in response, he went on. "I am Dr. Hamner, the nephrologist on Mr. Magnum's case. Our tests are indicating both a rather severe kidney infection in Magnum's badly contused kidneys and evidence of early kidney failure. I need to get an ultrasound as I am concerned that the blood clots forming in the kidneys may be periodically blocking the ureters resulting in waste being retained in the kidneys instead of draining down to the bladder. So at this time, we need to run enough fluid into his system to get good images when we do the ultrasound."

Rick frowned and questioned. "Thomas is already in a lot of pain...that doesn't sound like it is going to be helpful in that arena. Can the tests wait a little while until the pain level comes down some?"

Dr. Hamner shook his head. "You are..."

"Oh, sorry, Rick Wright...that's TC, Theodore Calvin. I gather you've met Thomas here."

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, the tests cannot wait. Things are escalating rather rapidly and we need to get a better idea of what is going on before something major happens. We need to get a handle on this."

Nurse Hong spoke up. "Rick, I'm going to administer his breakthrough meds again a bit earlier than I typically would, to try and help with the pain..."

Dr. Hamner continued, "But the process is going to be quite uncomfortable with Magnum needing to retain fluid in his bladder so we will be clamping the Foley until we are ready for the final phase of the scan when we will want his bladder empty.

Thomas muttered in a low voice. "Well, Fuck. This is not going to be fun."

TC patted his friend on the arm gently. "Nope...you've had fun and this is not it, huh?"

"Damn straight," TM replied.

"Commander," Thomas rolled his good eye, but didn't bother to comment, "I need to examine you. As you are already so uncomfortable, this will not be pleasant, but I will need you to lie flat for me and allow me to palpate..."

TM sighed, "I know the drill, doc. TC, thanks for your help, but why don't you all step out while the doctor does what he has to, okay?"

Rick asked. "You sure you don't want me to stay, TM? You've been slipping into Dari an awful lot here lately and I doubt the good doctor speaks it."

"Too much like the Sandbox," Magnum acknowledged, "Keep thinking I'm back in the camps...but no, Rick. I'll handle it until he's done. It is what it is."

"God, I HATE that expression. Fucking bitch that life is." Rick responded to which Thomas just smirked at him.

TC climbed gently eased Thomas down, climbing off the bed and quickly restraining TM when he tried to roll on his side. "Uh-uh, Thomas...that isn't lying flat, babe. Stay on your back for the good doctor."

As this was being accomplished, Nurse Hong had slipped out of the room and returned with the promised syringes. She injected the medicine into the IV port and lowered the head of the bed until it was in the flat position. Magnum's eyelashes fluttered a bit, before his good eye slipped closed, and he seemed to be resting for the moment, once the drugs hit his system. The fact he was not very far under was obvious from the grimaces on his face that came and went and the rapid movement of his eye beneath the eyelid. He was breathing slowly in through his nose and out through his mouth, trying to maintain some semblance of control.

Higgins, TC, and Rick left the room so the doctor could perform his exam, but they didn't go far beyond the two police guards, one of whom was a friend of Rick's and began speaking with Wright to get an update on what was happening with Magnum. They all heard the incoherent scream wrenched from their friend's lips as the exam proceeded in the room and Rick almost rushed back into the room, but TC headed him off and stopped him. "Let the doctor finish, buddy. It's rough, but we don't need to interrupt the process and make it take even longer, okay?" Rick nodded but definitely didn't look happy about it. Still, he stood down.

Higgins sighed. "I'll go get us some coffee, gents. Back soon."

TC nodded at her, understanding she was having a hard time controlling her own impulse to rescue Magnum from the doctor's 'care'.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually, the doctor and nurse emerged from the room, the torture finished for the moment. He spoke to Rick and TC. "You can go back in now. He's pretty exhausted, so hopefully, he'll rest for a bit while the fluids build up enough for us to do the scans. Because of how uncomfortable he'll be when we do the scan, I will let one of you stay at that point to keep him still, alright?"

Rick nodded, grimly. TC called after him. "Thank you, Doctor."

They re-entered TM's room to see him swiping with his good hand at the tear tracks on his face. Rick shook his head. "Oh, Tommy..." he sighed, going and grabbing a washcloth from the shelves in the wall, he gently wiped his face. "Shhh, Tommy. It's over for now. Easy, now, buddy." He looked at TC, angry. "This is rest?"

Calvin just shook his head, sadly. "Breathe with me, Thomas." He gently urged and got Thomas started again on the calming pattern, slowly in through the nose, hold for a few seconds, and blow out slowly through the mouth. Gradually, Magnum's eye slid shut and he seemed to relax and drift off. Both his friends sighed in relief.

At about that point, Higgins entered the room bringing them coffee and she had some Danishes as well. The guys smiled gratefully at her. She smiled when she saw that Thomas actually seemed to be resting. "He had it rough, didn't he?"

TC snorted, "Our boy always does...Jules. You can wish it was otherwise all you want, but the facts are what they are. It never goes easy for TM. Ain't fair, but that is the way of it."

She shook her head, regretfully. "It isn't right, he gives of himself so freely and fully...and what does he get in return?"

Rick grunted. "Pain and suffering and regrets and sorrows. Friggin' A, it ain't right. Sometimes I think if I ever make it to heaven, I'm going to walk right up to the Big Kahuna and punch him in the eye for Tommy!"

TC sighed. "Rick, buddy...do you need to take a little walk about and gain some perspective?"

"I'm not leaving him." Rick shook his head, planted his feet, and crossed his arms, looking ready to deck anyone who tried to move him.

"Peace, Orville. I'm not going to force you, brother." TC made a placating gesture. "Stand easy, my man. You're good."

***(*(*)*)***

A/N: I've lived inside this world, as a patient on the receiving end of the beating that left me with badly contused kidneys, so I know this experience intimately. It's not fun, but I survived and so will Thomas I promise that. You never forget the pain TM is in. In fact, it is the only thing even close to childbirth which I have also done...and my son was 1/2 ounce short of 16 lbs and 22 inches long. The little bugger kicked out while he was engaged in the birth canal, head down, all proper and broke my rib in the back and bruised my kidney again! Ah, the joys of parenthood...anyone wondering why I only had one child?


	19. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 19

**Just A Simple Exchange  
*(*(*)*)***

**Ch. 19  
*(*(*)*)***

The ultrasound had eventually been done, but Magnum had been very uncomfortable in the time leading up to it and had to lie on his stomach for part of the proceedings...all very difficult in the shape he was in and, after he was almost completely incoherent with exhaustion and pain that the meds were not helping. So when things were done, he just turned his face away from everyone and went totally quiet, not interacting at all. TC, Rick, and Higgins understood he had had enough and just let him be quiet, softly talking amongst themselves. Eventually, he seemed to get some restless sleep, but it was clear he was suffering even in his sleep.

Nurse Hong had gone off duty. While Magnum was actually resting, the new nurse came in, saw he was sleeping and wrote some information on the whiteboard. Later, when he was awake, the new nurse came in and introduced herself. "Hello, Cmdr..."

Thomas interrupted. "Please, just Thomas, or Magnum, or even TM. I'm retired from the Navy, so I prefer not being referred to by my former rank, okay?"

The nurse who had blonde hair and green eyes smiled easily. "Fine, Magnum. I'm Nancy Prendergast and I will be your nurse for the next 8 hours."

"Nice to meet you, Nurse Prendergast."

"Just Nancy or Nurse is fine."

"Why does Nurse Nancy sound familiar? Was there a character named that on a kid's TV show or something?"

TC looked at him funny, thinking his friend might be delirious. "What? Are you with us, TM?"

"Obviously..." Thomas replied.

"Actually, he's right." Nurse Prendergast replied. "It was a doll. She came out in 1957 and my older sister had one. I had the Nurse Nancy Little Golden book."

"My mom used to read that to me," Magnum said. "I knew it was familiar. Sorry, I digress, Nurse Nancy."

"He has a helluva memory," Rick commented. "One of my older cousins had a Nurse Nancy doll too. She went on to become a Doctor instead of a nurse, though."

Thomas relaxed a bit. "Do they have the results on my ultrasound yet, Nurse?"

"They are reviewing it and your latest lab results, Thomas. Try and get some rest."

Magnum sighed, "Easier said than done." He muttered.

"Why is that, Magnum?"

"Hurting..." Magnum responded, tossing his head restlessly.

***(*(*)*)***

The nurse checked her watch. "I can help with that."

TM groaned. "Me and my big mouth..."

She shook her head at the man. "Nurse Hong warned me you don't really like getting your meds, but Thomas, you need them."

TM sighed. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

She smiled. "I'll go get your meds. Back soon."

Thomas nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Rick and TC smirked at each other. "Thank you, Nurse Hong," Rick said aloud. "Thomas, remember, you've been in cardiac arrest too many times here recently. You have to comply with the medication regime...it's protective, not addictive."

Magnum rolled his head around and looked at his friend. "Rick, I'm already nauseous. I hate feeling this way, you know that."

"I know, buddy...and it sucks you have to deal with this." Rick went to the sink and dampened a washcloth to wipe down Magnum's face which was perspiring. "Fever's up again." He remarked to TC as he started wiping his friend down. TC nodded and went out of the door to advise the nurse about the fever spiking.

The nurse returned to the room with the syringes of medication for Magnum...she injected them in the port on his IV and advised him. "I am going to contact your doctor about the fever going up and see if I can get you an anti-pyretic." She was about to explain further when Magnum just said, "That's a fever reducer, right?"

She smiled at him. "You know all this stuff. You sure you aren't a doctor or a nurse yourself?"

TC laughed. "Thomas, no. He's had just too much experience as a patient on the receiving side. And he's very good at retaining information which is why he is a great private investigator."

"Is that what you do for a living now, Magnum?"

"Oh, no...it's what he does to find people he can help. Thomas doesn't care about making a living. He cares about helping people and serving in some capacity. Same as when he was a SEAL. It wasn't about being tough and violent, not for Thomas. It was about helping people. Thomas has always been all about helping people and serving his country, his friends, his community. He's all about serving everybody, but himself." Rick ranted, slightly. "I love him, but he doesn't take care of himself."

"Rick," Thomas was blushing, "quit making me sound like Gandhi or something...I just -"

"No...it's alright," The nurse said, "I can see what he's saying is true. It doesn't make you a saint, Magnum. Just a really good person."

"I don't know about that." Thomas demurred.

"I do." Rick snorted. "He once did two days, for 25 cents a day...to find a little girl's cat who helped her cope with her mom and dad divorcing, and kept doing it even after he found out he was extremely allergic to cats. In the process, he found another cat who had walked in blood and that led to him finding a murdered FBI agent...so he goes off on a tangent, finding the guy who murdered an FBI agent in the little girl's neighborhood, for which he had no client and was not paid. That's the way he does private investigating. Over half the time, he helps his client and helps the bad guy who had some sort of good reason for breaking bad. That's Thomas Magnum." Rick smiled at Thomas' discomfort. "He doesn't like me talking up his good points either;...see, he's all embarrassed."

TC laughed. "Don't be so good, if you don't want people talking you up for it, brother."

"Et tu, Theodore?" Magnum asked.  
"You bet, Tommy," Calvin replied. "I'm proud of you, so I'll talk you up, too, if I want to."

"How did you all meet?" The nurse asked, curiously.

"TC, Rick, and I served on the same team in Afghanistan, along with our friend Sebastian Nuzo, who unfortunately was murdered not too long ago here in Oahu," Magnum explained. "We were all prisoners of the Taliban together for 18 months and 11 days...which messed up our health and we were medically discharged from the service. We decided to move here to Hawaii and keep the gang together to support each other as we readjusted to civilian life." He shut his eyes. "Guys, I'm going to try and get some rest."

"Sounds good, TM. Just relax and get some sleep." Rick patted his shoulder gently.

The nurse looked at Higgins. "Surely, you didn't serve with them in Afghanistan?"

"No, I met them all here in Oahu. I am majordomo of the estate of Robin Masters, the author, and Thomas is our security consultant...Rick and TC are family to him, so I've come to know them all. They are a special group of people. Robin met them in Afghanistan and his character in the White Knight series is based on Thomas, there." Higgins nodded towards the resting former SEAL.

"Really? I have read all those books. To think I've now met the real White Knight."

Thomas' lips curled in a lopsided smile. "White Knight was just my designator on the radio."

Theodore snorted. "Your radio call sign and a pretty damn good indicator of your personality is what it was and is, TM. Now, rest."

"Yes, Theodore." Magnum retorted, but yawned as he tried to get to sleep.

"I'm going to go check and see if the doctor ordered you an anti-pyretic."

"Thank you, Nurse Nancy," Thomas called after her.

***(*(*)*)***

A/N: Hope you have enjoyed this addition to the story. More soon. Oh, by the way, my sister Vicki easily topped me in the natural childbirth arena as her youngest weighed in at over 16 lbs, so she handily beat me in the birthweight bonanza competition. Of course, she was 5'7" in height and weighed more, to begin with then I did...as I weighed in at just over 100 lbs (before I got pregnant, I was 157 lbs at birth and immediately post-birth had lost over 37 lbs). I was also only 5'3".


	20. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 20

Just A Simple Exchange**  
*(*(*)*)***

Ch. 20  
***(*(*)*)***

Nurse Nancy returned 20 minutes later to find Thomas finally asleep, though restless. She checked his temperature, noted it in her tablet and injected an anti-pyretic into his IV port. She tilted his head when TC looked at her and he followed her out into the hall. "I didn't want to wake Magnum if I could avoid it, but I thought you should know that was an anti-pyretic for his fever. The doctor will be round later to talk to him, so let me know when he wakes up, okay."

"Sure...thanks for letting him rest, while he can."

"Absolutely."

"Again, thanks, I'll let Rick and Higgins know he's had something to bring that fever down."

The nurse smiled and said. "Thanks, TC."

TC went back in and quietly explained what the nurse had told him with Higgins and Rick, very quietly. Thomas managed to stay asleep, for a change. It was almost an hour later, before the restlessness got powerful enough to tell those who knew him that Magnum was coming awake again. TC immediately went to tell Nurse Nancy that TM was waking. She frowned, clearly wishing he'd managed to rest longer, but told TC she would call the doctor and they could probably expect him soon.

Thomas opened his eyes and stiffened, unable to restrain a soft groan of pain. TC went back out to let the nurse know he was in quite a bit of pain, because he knew Thomas would never have let a groan slip out unless it REALLY hurt. The nurse assured him that as soon as the doctor spoke with them she would bring in TM's meds. TC thanked her and went back in the room.

Now more alert, Thomas was trying to cover for his earlier expression of pain. "Hey, guys...anything new?"

"The doctor's going to come up shortly and talk to you, okay, Thomas? The nurse gave you an anti-pyretic earlier."

"Guess that's why I am all sweaty," Magnum muttered.

Rick immediately got up, took a washcloth into the restroom, dampened it, and came back to wipe Magnum's head, face, arms, and hands down. Thomas sighed. "Thanks, Rick...that feels better."

Rick smiled at him. "No problem, my friend."  
***(*(*)*)***

A few minutes the doctor came in. "Hello, gentlemen, Miss Higgins. Thomas, when your current antibiotic drip runs out, we will be hanging a new antibiotic. It's quite a bit stronger because you have a particularly nasty kidney infection that set in. After reviewing your test results, we believe this is a result of the clots periodically blocking the urine from draining out of your kidneys down into the bladder as it should, which allows the urine in your kidneys to stagnate long enough to brew up an infection. This particular infection just needs something stronger to try and knock it out. However, this antibiotic might make you nauseous and dizzy, not that we are planning on letting you up just yet, but don't be surprised if the room spins when you open your eyes at times. The nurse will be flushing your catheter much more regularly from here on, okay? I know that will probably be uncomfortable, but it is necessary."

"No, that's fine," Magnum assured the doctor. "I want to knock this thing down as soon as we can."

"Good, Magnum. We are in agreement on that. Please, take your pain meds when they are offered, okay? Pain can result in ureter and kidney spasms and you don't need those on top of this infection, okay?"

Thomas sighed, but nodded. "I'll try, doc. It's just hard because I hate the way the pain meds make me feel and even with the anti-nausea stuff, I still get so nauseated on them."

"Hang in there, Thomas. We'll do everything we can to get you well on the road as quickly as we can, okay?"

Thomas managed a slight smile at that. "Yes, sir...that's what I want, as well."

"Any questions?" When no one had any, the doctor smiled, patted Magnum's leg and left.

In just a few moments, the nurse came in with two syringes of medication which she injected into the IV port. "When those kick in, try and get more rest, okay, Thomas."

Magnum shrugged, "Not like I'll have much choice, is it?"

"TM, she means don't fight it, okay?" Rick spoke up.

"Yes, Rick, Nurse Nancy..." Thomas rolled his eyes. "I just hate sleeping my life away."

"Thomas - behave, your job right now is to heal, not stay awake!" TC told him.

"Okay, guys. I get the message. Sheesh."  
***(*(*)*)***

It was another hour before the old antibiotic ran out and Nurse Nancy came in to hang the new antibiotic and hook it up to the IV, starting him on the new medication. Thomas was actually asleep which made the woman smile.

An hour later, however, Thomas was awake again and dry heaving. The antibiotic was, as predicted, not agreeing with his stomach at all. The dry heaves were aggravating the pain in his chest where the ribs were replaced so he was thoroughly miserable and he looked it. He groaned as another wave of nausea hit. He tried to roll on his side, but the pain from his chest wouldn't let him.

Rick and TC realized what he needed almost at once and gently rolled him on his side, being careful of his chest tubes. Just in case, Rick wedged the emesis basin under his chin on his side in case he actually brought up some bile. TC took the washcloth back into the bathroom, rinsed it thoroughly, ran cool water over it for a bit, wrung it out and brought it back to gently wipe Magnum's face, the back of his neck, his arms and his chest a bit under the hospital gown to cool his friend down and refresh him. By now, respiratory therapy had been by several times, but the head Respiratory therapist had advised the doctor that Magnum's oxygen levels had never dipped since he had been in ICU, he had complete control of his breathing, regulating his breathing without needing much of anything in the way of rehab in spite of the replacement ribs.

The head RT guy, whose name was Kiekie, commented to Rick and TC that SEAL or not, he had never seen anyone with the kind of breath control Thomas had exercised from the moment he pulled the ventilator out of himself back in Recovery. He said he must be in so much pain, but his discipline was extraordinary. The men just smiled and said that was how Thomas was. Disciplined, decisive, and courageous were all terms they had used for him for years now. They weren't a bit surprised he was surprising Kiekie.

***(*(*)*)***

People just didn't know how amazing this man really was, but the two of them certainly did. Now, however, they were worried about the amount of nausea he was having that was wearing Thomas out rapidly, in spite of the medications that were supposed to suppress nausea. They weren't sure he could take several days of this. They understood that the stronger med was necessary, but what good was it going to do? If it wore him down too much, how could he keep fighting? That, they feared, was a real concern.  
***(*(*)*)***

A/N: Well, haven't heard anything about the two interviews I had last week (no follow-up yet), but I still have hope. The one I would actually like to get, my interviewer said she was off Friday and probably wouldn't call or e-mail me until Monday. So there is still hope. It would be so great to get started on saving up the money to get the needed repairs done on our place. Get our telescope again...and all the other little things we need the money for. I didn't expect to be as exhausted after the interview as I was. I'm only recovering now. Hope you enjoy this latest addition to the story!


	21. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 21

Just A Simple Exchange  
***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 21  
***(*(*)*)***

The guys sent Higgins home at about midnight, insisting she didn't need to spend another night on the awful chairs in the ICU. They would call her if there was any real change, but they were going to start taking turns going home to get some rest, a change of clothes, a shower, and an actual meal. If they were going to support Thomas throughout this recovery, they needed to take care of themselves. Higgins reluctantly acknowledged the point and gave in when Thomas sleepily broke in, "Juliet, they are right and you know it. I appreciate you having stayed this long, but lady first is a viable way of going through the turns, here. Rick and TC will flip a coin or something to determine whose turn it is next to take a break."

TC broke in. "Actually, Magnum, we already decided we are going alphabetical. Higgins is first because she's a lady and Rick will go next."

Rick fought back. "Wait a minute, are we going by first names or last names here? Because Wright is way after Calvin..."

"But Rick is before Theodore," TC responded, easily. "So it's Higgins because both Juliet and Higgins are before R or T."

"Face it, Rick...he may be cheating, but he came up with it quicker than you did!" TM chortled. Then he blew it by saying. "When is it my turn to go home?"

Calvin shook his head. "Thomas, how about you spend a couple of days outside of Intensive Care before we even think about you going home? Okay?"

Magnum sighed. "Okay, Theodore...where's Alvin?"

"Oh, give me a break...I'm the biggest damn chipmunk you ever saw if I am that Theodore."

Orville blew it apart when he remarked. "You do kind of have that Theodore's cheekbones!"

Thomas started laughing and had to grab at his chest as the laughing hurt. TC silently grabbed a pillow and gently but firmly pressed it against Magnum's chest and Rick grabbed another pillow and gently followed suit on the other side of their friend. Thomas sighed. "Guess you're right about me not being ready to go home. I can't even laugh without it hurting."

Wright rolled his eyes and remarked back at him, "Tommy, give yourself a break, will you? You just had 7 ribs replaced. The pain is only normal and natural at this point."

"Am I leaking?"

Rick automatically glanced towards Magnum's Foley, but TM corrected him. "Around my chest, Orville, not the catheter."

Rick raised his pillow and saw immediately what Magnum was referring to, "Shit, what the hell? TC, get the nurse, now!"

Higgins, who hadn't left yet, intervened. "I'll get the nurse, TC."

"Thanks, Higgy."  
***(*(*)*)***

Higgins went out to the nursing station and found Nurse Nancy. "Nurse, Magnum's chest wounds are leaking."

Nancy frowned. "Leaking?"

"That's what he said...and Rick Wright apparently saw it as he told me to get someone, and I quote 'NOW!' "

The nurse nodded, grabbed a sterile sample bottle and a bandaging kit and hurried into the room. She was barely inside the room when she queried Rick. "Where?"

"Take your pick...any of the wounds from when they put the new ribs in...They all seem to be leaking a nasty-ass smelly discharge."

The nurse came up to Rick's side and he gently tugged a bandage out of the way of the weeping wound in Magnum's chest wall. The nurse held the sterile sample bottle against Magnum's chest wall and allowed the fluid to accumulate to a certain level in the bottle before she slipped the lid on and quietly began rebandaging his chest. Each bandage removed, the area wiped down with several alcohol wipes and fresh gauze, followed by fresh tape applied to hold each bandage in place. It took quite a while as she went from top to bottom on one side, then bottom to top up the breastbone. Once that side was done, she walked around the bed to TC's side and repeated the process on the other side. When she was done, she asked TC. "May I ask why you were holding pillows to Thomas' chest?"

Rick blushed as he beat Calvin to the response. "We were horsing around and got poor Tommy laughing and it made his chest hurt, so we were holding the pillows against the chest wall to try and ease it."

"You boys are good at this caregiving gig."

Thomas morosely chimed in. "They'll probably tell you I've given them lots of practice."

"Hey, Tommy, we haven't given you near as much practice as you've given us and you are way better at it than either of us."

"I've had practice since I was six," Magnum replied evenly.

TC sighed. "True That...way too much practice in your lifetime, my friend."

"It is..."

TC and Rick both said it with him, "what it is."

The nurse tilted her head, regarding the three men with a curious look. TC tilted his head towards the door and she nodded and headed out, telling Magnum as she left. "I'll be back shortly to irrigate the Foley catheter, Thomas."

"Yes, ma'am," Magnum replied.

TC led the nurse out the door, as soon as the door was shut, he said. "You looked like you had a question."

"Why did Magnum say he's had practice caregiving since he was six?"

"Thomas' dad died in Viet Nam when he was just barely past the age of six...and Tommy became the support system for his Mom. I mean he did everything - balanced the checkbook, set the food budget, made sure they had enough money to pay the mortgage, everything a grown ass man would do, Thomas did. He quit being a kid the day his dad died, so yeah, he's literally been caregiving since he was six, Nurse."

"Oh, my...he's quite a man, isn't he?"

"Yes, ma'am...one of the most giving people I have ever known."

"I'll get the irrigation set up as soon as I call the lab to come to pick up this sample. Thank you for telling me about that, TC. I appreciate getting to know my patient better."

"No problem, Nurse Nancy."

Higgins was waiting to speak to the Nurse before she left. Even though she trusted Rick and TC would call her if there were any major changes, she asked the nurse to call her if she had anything she felt Higgins should know.

***(*(*(*(**)*)*)*)*)*)***

**A/N: I have been interviewing for jobs and had an interview just the other day that I would really love to get the job for. I had a call when I got home from that interview calling me back for a 2nd interview next week on Wednesday at 1 pm. If you believe in prayer, please be praying for me between now and then, guys. Thanks!**


	22. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 22

Just A Simple Exchange  
***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 22

***(*(*)*)***

When Nurse Nancy came back in to irrigate the Foley, Magnum was still awake and restless. He didn't make a sound while she irrigated his Foley, quietly thanking her when she was done. She noted the output on her tablet with a slight frown and followed that process up by checking his vitals again, temp, BP and heart rate all noted on the tablet as well. His oxygen levels were still good and she encouraged him to do his breathing which he did handily and with no problem. She smiled at him and advised him to try and get some rest. He promised to try and thanked her for her care. She left the room and TC and Rick looked at each other, worried that he didn't look like he would be able to rest. The dry heaves started again. Rick shook his head, frustrated on behalf of his friend.

TC immediately went and rinsed the washcloth and came back and wiped Thomas down again, keeping the washcloth on Thomas' neck for a while to cool him off. Magnum quietly said. "Thanks, TC...I appreciate you doing that so much."

"Not a problem, my friend," Theodore said, firmly. "You know this. We are here for you, always, my brother. Just like you've been here for us..."

Rick finished the thought. "…time and time and time again, friend. Just hang in there, Thomas."

Thomas snorted. "I'm hanging, Rick! I am hanging."

TC glanced at his watch. "I'm going to check on the anti-nausea meds, TM, maybe it is close enough to time."

Thomas frowned slightly, "I wish, but I don't think so."

TC ambled out to the nurses' station. "Hey, Nancy...any chance Thomas can have the anti-nausea meds yet?"

"Is he..."

"Yeah...he's dry-heaving again."

"Oh, that poor man..." She checked the clock...did the math and nodded. "Tell Thomas I'll be right in." She advised TC.

The chopper pilot smiled at her and said. "Thank you, Nurse Nancy. I really appreciate that...and so will Thomas."

TC hurried back in and frowned because Thomas had his head turned away and saw his shoulders shaking, the big man immediately knew he was trying to hide his tears. Thomas turned back and Rick immediately wiped his face with a dry washcloth, wiping the tear tracks away. "Hurting, buddy?"

Magnum shook his head. "Just frustrated. I never do anything the easy way, do I, guys?"

"I thought that was your motto, as a SEAL?" Rick teased.

"No, bro, the unofficial SEAL motto is 'the only easy day is yesterday', not 'never do anything the easy way'."

"Well, the good news is...here comes Nurse Nancy with your anti-nausea meds..."

"And your pain killer, Thomas...hopefully, you'll be able to get some sleep now." The nurse said, as she pushed the meds into his IV port one after the other. "Now, don't fight them...try to get some rest, Thomas."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, Nurse Nancy." Thomas said, softly.

Rick took the washcloth he'd used to wipe the tear tracks dry from his friend's face. He let the water run to get good and cold a moment and rinsed the washcloth, wringing it out until nearly dry, but nice and cool. He took it back in the room and sponged Thomas off. The other man was already getting sleepy, but he smiled at his friend and said, "Thanks, Rick."

"Get some sleep, buddy." TC softly advised TM.

Thomas smiled softly. "I'll try, guys. Why don't you go grab yourselves some coffee?"

"I'll go get them, TC. Be right back." Rick said. He left the room and hurried down to the nurse's break room to get some coffee for him and TC. The club manager smiled as it occurred to him that even as sick as Thomas was, he was still looking after his boys...just like always. Some things truly never change. That's why he loved TM so much. What a great guy. He hoped his friend would feel better soon. He really hated seeing Magnum so unwell. Wright headed back to the room with the two coffees.

TC smiled at his friend as he returned with the drinks. Thomas had drifted off to sleep while Rick was gone. "Aw, thanks, Rick. The nectar of the gods!" He took a tentative sip. "That ain't from the vending machine." His eyes crinkling as his face broke out in an appreciative smile.

Rick grinned. "Nope, Nurse Nancy showed me to the nurses' break room earlier this evening and told me to use it when any of us needed coffee, so I made up a fresh pot of real Kona coffee. That's fresh and made just the way we like it. Hope it doesn't give the nurses' the jitters. It's made Marine style."

"It's excellent, Orville, as always. One of your greatest gifts to me in the Sandbox was the way you kept us fixed for damn fine coffee!"

Wright gave a soft laugh, cautious not to wake their sleeping friend. "For that, you can thank Ice Pick...he always sent plenty of Kona coffee in his care packages when we were over there. Glad you still like it."

"Always, my brother." TC sat down. "Let's relax a bit while we can. I doubt the meds will keep our 'little brother' out long."

"Tell me about it, TC. I'm just happy they managed to send him out for a while. He needs to rest to heal."

"Trust me, I know, Rikki. I had to hum for a while to ease him off."

"Oh, I figured you had to help ease him off to dreamland somehow, T."

"I was surprised when it actually worked," TC admitted. "Surprised, but pleased."

"Me, too, brother. Me, too."

"What do you think is going on with the chest wounds, Rick?" TC inquired, tentatively.

"The last thing he needs," Orville responded. "I think he's got a staph infection in the surgical wounds from where they put in the new ribs. Maybe even an MRSA. I hate the idea, but..."

"Yea, brother. It would be too par for the course for Thomas though, wouldn't it?"

"Just so long as he isn't rejecting the replacement ribs, TC...that would be way worse."

"True that." TC agreed, shooting a silent prayer heavenward that wasn't the case. 'Please, God...give TM a break.'

After that, the two men quieted down, thinking that they wanted Magnum to rest as long as possible, so they didn't want to take a chance that even their quiet conversation might rouse him. It was surprisingly peaceful in the room after a tough couple of days. It was rather nice to just enjoy the peace, however long it might last. The three of them had learned to enjoy the peaceful moments whenever they might find them, way back in Afghanistan even before the prison camps. Nuzo, too, had appreciated the way the group of men learned to grab their good times under some of the worst circumstances possible. It was part of what made them jell as a group that became very tightly knit very quickly. For such a diverse group, they had all discovered they shared similar senses of humor (the word, quirky, came to mind), similar eclectic tastes in music, very much alike senses of duty, honor, brotherhood, and compassion, similar disdain for doing what they were told by 'those in authority' choosing to pull together to do what they believed to be right at all times. That knitting together of a unique group had stood the test of time and far too many losses and the three of them were still standing...well, in TM's case, trying to hang on and heal.

***(*(*)*)***

**A/N: Well, another shot at a job bites the dust. I'm really starting to get discouraged, but I am still not ready to give up. Bummer about another job possibility biting the dust. Don't believe them when they tell you there is no discrimination based on age or disability. It's a bloody lie!**


	23. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 23

Just A Simple Exchange

***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 23  
***(*(*)*)***

No one was more surprised than Rick and TC when Thomas managed three hours of relatively sound sleep before the signs began that he was starting to wake up. First, he groaned softly and shook his head, and then he tossed his head side to side restlessly and tried to raise his arm to his forehead, a move that was forestalled quickly by Rick as it was his bad arm and that didn't need to clunk against his damaged face.

TC smiled and shook his head at the all too familiar routine between Thomas and Rick. Rick sighed, looked at his fellow Marine and said. "I think it's time I get back up on the bed with him, buddy."

TC frowned. "I don't know, Rick. Is that safe for you if those chest wounds are infected with MRSA?"

Rick gave his pal a harsh look. "Oh, bite me, TC; then ask me if I care? Taking care of Thomas matters more than that."

TC held up his hands in surrender. "Peace, Rikki, I was merely expressing a concern, not trying to tell you not to do what you want to do, my friend. Come on, I'll help you up there."

However, before either of them could make a move, Thomas' good eye opened and he said, "Freeze, Rick!" In his command voice, though it was weaker than usual, it was still effective because Rick immediately froze. "I won't have you risking your health. I'm awake now, I won't nearly kosh myself again...and you clearly can stop me without being up here, so stay put."

Rick couldn't help it. He smiled at his friend. "You've still got that command presence thing going for you, Tommy."

Magnum smiled. "Yeah, well, four years at the Academy definitely puts the starch in your shorts for good, pal. My voice sounds like a wuss though."

"As if, Thomas." TC chortled. "Rick froze straight away like the kid caught trying to sneak into his girlfriend's room at night and the father of the girl was an old school Marine!"

Rick looked at TC. "How'd you know I did that once?"

TC groaned. "Tell me you didn't."

" 'Fraid so...what made it worse was the father was later my DI!"

"Oh, Lord," Thomas groaned as the laughter that induced hurt him! A lot! Though probably not as much as the DI dad made Rick hurt in Marine basic. "Thank God you survived, my friend."

Rick grinned and snorted. "Barely, but yeah...and afterward the guy actually told me he gave me credit for sheer guts and determination. He also told me I was a friendly little cuss for all he had put me through. He actually gave me a really good recommendation for the next phase of training, too! He said I was a natural scraper and a born gunner."

"Well, let's face it, Orville, that's a 'no, duh?' thing." TC pointed out.

"That's for ding dang sure!" Magnum agreed. "It's cold in here." He mused aloud a moment later.

Rick frowned at that remark and stood up and laid the back of his hand on TM's forehead, "Be right back."

He went out to the nurse's station. "Hey, Nurse Nancy...Thomas' fever is way up...he's cooking in there."

"We can't have that..." Nancy wisecracked, "no cooking in patient rooms in ICU. I was about to come in with his antipyretic, it's time."

"Could I have some ice packs?" Rick asked.

"For that, Rick, I'll have to check with his doctor, but I'll do it after I give Magnum his injection of antipyretic, okay?"

"Absolutely, but I'm going to start sponging him off...see if that will help."

"Of course, that's fine."

"Don't think Thomas will think so, he says he's freezing in there."

Hearing that, the nurse frowned. "The last thing he needs is more discomfort."

"That's for sure, sister," Rick replied as he went back in. "Could you maybe bring in a warm blanket? When Tommy gets cold, he tends to flash back to Afghanistan."

"Absolutely, Rick. I'll be in, in just a moment."

"Thanks, Nurse." He flashed a smile at her that made her legs turn to jelly briefly as the man went back to his friend. Magnum certainly had charmers for friends.

Rick re-entered Thomas' room to find TC struggling to hold Magnum back against the bed. Thomas was yelling in Dari. Rick thought he was saying. "Leave them alone. You touch them and I will end you!" but his Dari wasn't all that good. It certainly sounded like that was the sentiment being expressed at any rate. The fact his friend had gone from alert and coherent to clearly delirious so quickly worried the former gunner almost more than the fact Magnum was clearly reliving the worst part of the camps, his fear for his friends.

As he closed on the bed, he heard TC softly, repeatedly, trying to get through to their friend. "Thomas, Tommy, no. We are not in the camps, my friend. We're in Hawaii. We're safe, you are safe. We're home, buddy. We're home."

"TC?" Magnum said, sounding thoroughly confused. "What are you doing in the hole?"

"Tommy, you're not in the hole. You are in the hospital, in ICU; in Hawaii, just like TC said." Rick said, laying his hand on Thomas' forehead and stroking it gently. That touch made Magnum calm immediately. For both of them to be with him, and able to touch him, made it obvious to the SEAL that he wasn't in the hole, but his next query broke Rick's heart.

"Nuzo?" Thomas asked, restlessly. His hand came up, clearly searching for his SEAL brother.

"He's not here right now," TC said, thinking quickly. "Lara needed him, so he went home for a bit." The big black man's reasoning was simple. Magnum did not need to relive the trauma of losing Nuzo in his current condition. He didn't like flat out lying to his friend and he was well aware it was liable to backfire on him, but, at the moment, he just didn't care. Magnum had enough to contend with between his injuries and this fever; he did not need to re-lose Nuzo all over again.

Rick paused in mid-movement and looked at TC, surprised the man was lying to their friend, but he quickly caught up with and understood his friend's reasoning and nodded over at the chopper pilot in approval. TC smiled tightly at his friend's approval; at least, he had a partner in crime.

"Lara's okay, right?" Thomas asked worriedly. "It's not the baby, is it? It isn't time? I promised I'd be there when she delivered."

"Relax, TM," Rick assured him. "It's not the baby. Well, not exactly. It's the cravings...you know how wacky those have been getting!"

TM actually chuckled, "I'll say! Peach ice cream, maraschino cherries and Spanish olives with pimentos and whipped cream on top?" He shuddered. "Yeuch!"

TC shuddered, as well. "That's just gross, man."

"How many brain cells, you reckon, I'm killing here, Rick?" Magnum asked idly.

"More than you can afford, brother." Rick chuckled, good-naturedly.

"I can't afford to lose any." TM retorted, evenly.

"Sure you can, Tommy. You're smarter than the average bear!"

"I'm a SEAL, not a bear!" Magnum replied.

Rick groaned. "Okay...enough with the witty retorts, buddy. I'm going to get a washrag nice and cold to cool you off, brother."

"Thanks, Rick."

"No problemo!" Rick assured him. As he took a clean washrag into the bathroom, Nurse Nancy entered the room with the antipyretics for the injured man. Thomas' eyes were closed, his good eye moving rapidly under his less swollen eyelid. TC studied him, frowning in concern, wondering if he was back in the 'Stan.

When Nurse Nancy came in, she asked softly. "Magnum, is it okay if I check your temperature?"

Thomas opened his mouth, clearly expecting an oral thermometer. He jumped slightly when she inserted the thermometer in his ear, looking confused. When it beeped, he flinched sharply. The nurse frowned slightly at his reaction...but frowned even more when she read the read-out. "I'm injecting your antipyretic into your IV, Thomas. Hopefully, that will help this fever."

Rick came back into the room with the wet rag and heard Thomas mutter. "What fever? I'm frickin' freezing." The nurse frowned, but stated soothingly. "In that case, you'll like this." She covered him with the warmed blanket and he immediately sighed in relief. "Thank you, Nurse Nancy."

***(*(*)*)***

**A/N: Sorry it has been too long since I updated, but I finally found a job and I started this past Wednesday, the 26th. I'm a Walmart Associate - Fitting Room Attendant to be precise. The pay is decent, so I am very happy to have finally found a job that would give me a chance after 16 years off of work. They weren't fussed about my two forearm crutches either. Right now it's just training I am doing, but I am learning a lot and thankful for the opportunity. The pace of my updates has obviously slowed, but I will keep at this! Hope you enjoyed this update.**


	24. Just A Simple Exchange Ch 24

Just A Simple Exchange

***(*(*)*)***

Ch. 24  
***(*(*)*)***

Magnum's fever continued to rise over the next few hours. He was reliving old missions, some from before Rick and TC had first started to be teamed with he and Nuzo. The one-sided conversations were giving the duo a window into the SEAL's life when he and Nuzo had been assigned to different teams to fill them out for various assignments. These missions were from before Thomas and Nuzo's first tour in Iraq, before they met Robin, from their earliest days as SEALS together. And, by the sounds of things, they had been pretty gnarly experiences for both men.

Rick had taken to taping TM's mutterings; hoping to ask him about the missions when his friend was better. TC had advised him they were probably all still classified, but Rick persisted anyway. Honestly, TC just hoped they would get the chance to ask Thomas to share the full stories. Their boy was really, really ill and Theodore was seriously beginning to get worried. Usually Thomas bounced back quickly when hurt or sick, something that even their time as POW's hadn't taken from him, but Calvin felt like this time their friend was just getting worse and no sign of improvement. The chopper pilot was feeling the beginnings of fear, that the current situation was one time too many for Thomas' seemingly gifted nine lives. He didn't share that fear with Rick, not wanting to bring his friend down, but, he really was getting worried.

Finally, he took a turn to go and get coffee for him and Rick and as he left the room, he took out his phone and called Shammy. He needed to talk to someone about his growing concern.

Shammy heard him out, heard the fear behind what he was saying, and advised him. "TC, ever since I first met you and Rick, you've always talked about how Thomas is a survivor, always. I still believe that. Give him time for the new antibiotics to kick in."

"I hear you, Shammy, and I know, but I have never seen him so completely miserable for so long. He barely rests before the dry heaves wake him up again and the pain is not being controlled. I'm really worried."

"Keep on keeping on, TC. Things will turn a corner soon…"

"Yeah, but, in which direction, bro?"

"The right one, TC. The right one."

"I should probably call Father Mike. He can put Thomas on the chapel's prayer chain." TC pondered, aloud.

"Let me do that for you, so you can get back to Rick with the coffee, okay?" Shammy offered. He had come to really like the affable private investigator in the short time he had gotten to know him. The man had been through so much in his lifetime, this just couldn't be the end to his story. If he died, Rick and TC would be devastated to lose another member of their ohana. Thomas Sullivan Magnum the Fourth was not going to be taken down by this - no way, no how. He had no problem calling Father Mike Murphy and getting the Prayer Warriors of Pearl on the case. Hopefully, that would be the turning point Magnum needed to start improving. Somebody needed to give the SEAL a hand up at this point.

*** * * * (( * * )) * * ***

After feeding and playing with the lads a bit, Juliet Higgins took a shower and went to bed, but she just couldn't drift off. It was amazing how much Magnum had worked his way inside her defenses. She was genuinely worried about him to a degree she would not have thought possible not that long ago. She went back down to her office and opened up her laptop and began researching the topics of Thomas' injuries, the complications he was dealing with, the infection the doctor had said he had and the exact nature of the antibiotic the urologist had switched him to. Web MD was not her friend by the time she was done. The thought that they might soon have to start Magnum on dialysis if he didn't begin putting out more urine, the meaning of kidney failure and what that would do exactly to his lifestyle if his kidneys didn't recover horrified her. Good Lord, she was worried earlier, now she felt tendrils of real fear stalking her. The odds Thomas was facing seemed stacked against him, indeed. Okay, that had put paid to any hope of her sleeping tonight. She was considering just going back to the hospital when Kumu walked in.

"Juliet, what are you doing up so late? Didn't Rick and TC send you home to get some rest?"

"Yes, but I couldn't sleep." Higgins started to explain.

Kumu moved behind her and looked at the screen of her laptop. "Somehow I doubt trawling the internet for more information on what Magnum is dealing with is going to help you sleep, Higgins. Come on, now. Turn that thing off and let's go have some nice warm milk…that might help you get a bit of sleep before you head back to the hospital."

"I'm afraid you are correct, Kumu. I doubt I will be able to sleep at all now, but I suppose I should try."

"Have a little faith, Juliet. Thomas is a strong young man and a fighter. He won't quit now. I'll get my nephew who is a Kahuna pule to do a healing ritual for Thomas."

"What is a Kahuna pule, Kumu?"

"A Hawaiian holy man…"

"I'm sure Magnum would appreciate that, Kumu. I hope it will help. He is really not doing well at the moment. The nurse called me with an update and the urologist has confirmed he has a severe kidney infection and is in early kidney failure. If his output doesn't improve, they will have to put him on dialysis."

"Oh, my. I'm going to call my nephew right now."

"It's the middle of the night, Kumu."

"Trust me, Keoki won't mind. Magnum helped one of his congregants recently. Keoki is both a Kahuna pule and a Christian minister, so he is used to sick calls in the middle of the night. Thomas helped his congregant find his missing daughter and Keoki really liked him. Magnum didn't charge anything for helping Chou find Leanna."

"That sounds like something our resident private investigator would do."

"He's a good man, Juliet."

"You'll get no argument on that from me, Kumu."

"I'm going to call Keoki, first. After that, I'll get you that warm milk with a bit of sugar in it."

*** * * * (( ** )) * * * ***

**SORRY, it has been so long since I have updated, but working at Walmart is far more exhausting than I expected. Standing on your feet all day and folding clothes and minding the fitting room, answering the phones for the entire store, etc. It's a lot on this 60 plus-year-old. Still we are making progress on paying off bills, I have lost 25 lbs over the last years and Randy and I will soon get a new telescope (our Christmas present to ourself - we had one a few years back, but we had to sell it at one point and Randy is a rather good astrophotographer so we really want to get back into it). After the first of the year, we will start saving up for the first work on our mobile home, so there you go. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. More soon, I hope.**


End file.
